Different Drying Duration of Corncobs Powders and Its Effects on Physical, Nutritional and Phytochemical

Abstract

Corncobs are one of the agricultural wastes that have nutritional and functional content. The advantages of processing corn cobs into powder include durability, a smaller volume, and lighter weight, making it easier to pack and transport. One of the important steps in making corn cobs powder is drying to determine the durability and quality of the corn cobs powder. This study aimed to determine different drying durations of corncobs powders and their effect on physical, nutritional, and phytochemical properties as an alternative to functional food and foodstuffs. The experimental design used a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), consisting of one factor with four treatments: 4;5;6;7; and 8 hours and four replications. The results showed that different drying times had significant (p<0.05) physical, nutritional, and phytochemical properties. Corncobs powder with a drying duration of 7 hours has the best physical properties (water absorption at 1.34 ml/g, solubility at 26.76%, whiteness at 66.62%, and bulk density at 0.64 g/cm3), nutritional contents (water content at 10.26%, ash content at 3.73%, protein content at 2.20%, fat content at 0.77%, carbohydrate content at 83.04%, and crude fiber at 35.77%), and phytochemical content (total phenol at 113.30 mg/100 mg, antioxidant activity at 21.28%, and tannins at 1.46 mg/L).The implication of this result can be developed as a source of nutrients and bioactive compounds to convert corncobs waste into value-added corn products.