Comparative study of nutritional and functional characteristics of pearl millet, buckwheat, amaranth and unripe banana flours for gluten-free bakery products

Abstract

Suburbanization and changes in societal habits have led to a paradigm shift towards products that are nutritionally rich and therapeutic. However, the indispensable wheat flour in the bakery industry is also a trigger for gluten-related disorders. The present research focused on the characterization of nutritional and functional properties of glutenfree cereals-pearl millet, buckwheat, amaranth and unripe banana flours in comparison with wheat flour. The data were evaluated using analysis of variance and the difference between specific pair of means was compared using Duncan’s multiple range test at a 95% confidence interval. Pearson correlation analysed the interaction amongst derived parameters. The results were significantly different (p<0.05) except for oil-absorbing capacity. The gluten-free flours reported higher protein (15.55% for amaranth), carbohydrates (82.69% for unripe banana) and energy content (384.72 kcal/g for pearl millet) compared to wheat flour whereas the moisture (6.26% for pearl millet) and fat content (0.98% for unripe banana) were lower. Amaranth had the highest water holding capacity and foam capacity (3.86 mL/g and 26.62% respectively) but the lowest foam stability (89.20%). Pearson correlation showed significant relations among functional properties and food components. Oil-absorbing capacity was found to be positively correlated to protein and negatively to carbohydrates and foam stability. The foam capacity was strongly correlated with different food components. The protein-rich and high energy gluten-free flours along with their functional properties can aid in the development of composite flour and fill the gap in the demand-supply of the therapeutic gluten-free diet.