Effect of Different Supplementation Levels of Soybean Flour on Pearl Millet Functional Properties

Maha A M Ali,Abdullahi H El Tinay,Abd Elmoneim O Elkhalifa,Limya O Mallasy,Elfadil E Babiker

doi:10.4236/fns.2012.31001

Abstract

Pearl millet cultivar (Dempy) was supplemented with soybean flour to raise the protein content by 5%, 10% and 15%. Defatted soybean flour, pearl millet flour and their composite flour had varying functional properties. Water and fat absorption, bulk density, nitrogen solubility and dispersibility were higher for soybean flour compared to that of pearl millet flour. Therefore, such properties were improved significantly (P ≤ 0.05) for pearl millet with increasing the level of soybean supplementation. The emulsifying and foaming properties of pearl millet flour were poor but after supplementation with soybean they significantly (P ≤ 0.05) improved. Supplementation of pearl millet flour with soybean had no effect on least gelation concentration of millet. The implication of these results will be realized in designing protein-enriched products based on pearl millet flour, especially for pearl millet–growing regions in the under-developing countries.

Highlights

Millets have been important staples in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa for centuries
The results indicated that supplementation of pearl millet with soybean protein improved significantly (P ≤ 0.05) the bulk density of millet
A higher bulk density (BD) is desirable, since it helps to reduce the paste thickness which is an important factor in convalescent and child feeding [20]

Summary

Introduction

Millets have been important staples in the semi-arid tropics of Asia and Africa for centuries. The soybean (Glycine max) is the seed of the leguminous soybean plant It has high protein content and is not very expensive. Soybean proteins are available to the food industry in the form of flours and grits concentrates and isolates with respective protein contents of 40% - 50%, 70% and 90% or more. These proteins, when added to a variety of foods, supply desirable functional properties, such as emulsification, fat absorption, moisture holding, thickening and foaming [6]. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of supplementation with soybean protein on functional properties of pearl millet flour

Objectives

Methods

Results