Characterization of corn, cassava, and commercial flours: Use of amylase-rich flours of germinated corn and sweet potato in the reduction of the consistency of the gruels made from these flours-Influence on the nutritional and energy value.

Stephano Tambo Tene,Hilaire Macaire Womeni,Serge Cyrille Ndomou Houketchang,Gires Teboukeu Boungo,Julie Mathilde Klang

doi:10.1002/fsn3.902

Abstract

Malnutrition appears in weaning age and is usually due to weaning food which is of low nutritional value. This problem led us to investigate the study of the physicochemical and functional properties of cassava flours and corn flours, and the fluidification of the gruels made from these flours by germinated yellow corn and sweet white potato flours. To do this, the approximate chemical composition, physical and functional properties, and ability of amylase‐rich flours to digest the starch in order to reduce consistency were evaluated. From these analyses, it emerges that the chemical composition, and physical and functional properties are influenced by the nature and the treatment undergone by the flours. It appears that the amylase‐rich flours that we used at a concentration of 1%–3% during the preparation of the gruels significantly reduced their consistencies. Given their strong liquefying power, this reduction was more marked with germinated corn flour where 1% permits to obtain desired consistency with 21.50 g of DM of bitter cassava flour, thereby multiplying the energy density and nutritional value of this flour by 5.18. It also appears that the action of flours rich in amylases was depending on the concentration, the nature of the flour, its composition, and the treatment undergone. In view of all these results, we can therefore consider the formulation of a weaning food with the consistency, and energy and nutritional value necessary for the proper growth of children.

Highlights

In tropical countries such as Cameroon, cereals, roots, and tubers are considered essential components of every meal and are introduced very early in children's complementary diets (FAO, 2014)
This protein content is not significantly different (p > 0.05). This level is lower than that found by Klang (2015), on corn flour of variety grown in Adamawa‐Cameroon, which was 10.2%, which is explained by the variety of corn, the locality where it was harvested, the cultivation practices, and the chemical composition of the soil
The carbohydrate content of each flour is significantly higher than other nutrients with values between 82.83% and 96.95% for yellow corn flour and bitter cassava flour, respectively

Summary

Introduction

In tropical countries such as Cameroon, cereals, roots, and tubers are considered essential components of every meal and are introduced very early in children's complementary diets (FAO, 2014). In Cameroon, 33% of children under five suffer from malnutrition, more than half (18.4%) of which is severe (INS, 2014) This malnutrition is due to the fact that the infant gruels prepared daily from cereal flours (corn, e.g.), roots (cassava), and tubers (potato, sweet potato) by the parents are of low energy and nutritive density because they use low concentrations in dry matter of flours (5–10 g of MS). Trèche (1999) demonstrates that the preparation of gruels of improved energy density can be done by using exogenous sources of amylases such as germinated cereal flours or amylase‐rich flours (ARF) which are the resultant of the germination of cereals such as rice (Singhavanich, Jittinandana, Kriengsinyos, & Dhanamitta, 1999), sorghum (Usha, Lakshmi, & Ranjani, 2010), barley (Elenga, Massamba, & Silou, 2012), and corn (Sodipo & Fashakin, 2011) This treatment will reduce the consistency and increase the nutritional value and energy density of weaning gruels. This work aims to improve the fluidity, nutritional value, and energy density of gruels made from corn (Atp), cassava (bitter cultivar), and commercial flour by adding flour rich in amylases (germinated yellow corn and white sweet potato flours)

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