How superheated steam treatment modifies the physicochemical, functional, nutritional, and anti-nutritional attributes: A case study on guar bean flour

Abstract

Guar seed flour (GSF) is a nutritionally rich ingredient that is widely available, but antinutritional factors limit its commercial use. Considering this limitation, the present study investigated the effect of superheated steam (SHS) treatment (120–150 °C, 5–15 min) on the nutritional properties, bioactive compounds, anti-nutritional factors, thermo-pasting and structural characteristics, and in-vitro digestibility of GSF. The SHS treatment influenced the carbohydrate, protein, and fat content and improved the functional properties of GSF. Similarly, an increment in total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and a decline in total flavonoid content was observed. The maximum reduction of tannin, phytic acid, and saponin was observed in GSF samples treated at 150 °C – 15 min. The diffractogram pattern showed a decrease in crystallinity with increasing SHS temperature and duration, trypsin inhibitor activity was reduced, while the in-vitro digestibility increased. Apart from this, the SHS treatment also influenced the thermo-pasting properties of GSF, which might be due to the intermolecular interactions, cross-linking, and starch-lipid interactions. Industrial relevanceThe SHS treatment provides high energy efficiency and has the potential to be commercialized on an industrial scale in the food industry, despite its popularity in the non-food sector. The findings indicate that SHS treatment under optimal conditions improved GSF's physicochemical, functional, and digestibility properties. Furthermore, the SHS treatment was very effective at reducing anti-nutritional factors. The product developed from SHS-treated GSF has the potential to be a viable alternative for food formulations and will have a positive impact on human health.