Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) grain flour: New ingredient with bioactive, nutritional and physical-chemical properties for food applications

Abstract

Mesquite (Prosopis juliflora) is a pod found in the semiarid Northeast region of Brazil. It is widely used as livestock feed and its by-product (the grain) has potential for human food. Thus, this article aims was to obtain flour from mesquite grains under different drying temperatures (50, 60, and 70ºC) and classify them by their physical-chemical, microstructural, technological, antioxidant, bioactive, and pasting properties. Both the mesquite grain and the mesquite grain flour showed a high amount of proteins and low-fat content. Analyses on morphology and viscosity indicated the presence of starch. Among the temperatures studied, the flour dried at 60 ºC presented the best results for the capacity of water and oil absorption, antioxidant activities, and total phenolic compounds. Seventeen compounds were detected by chromatography, with kaempferol, catechin, and quinine being the most abundant. This confirms the potential of mesquite flour as a relevant source of proteins and phenolic compounds for food products.