Optimisation of the production of corn amylase flour from corn Atp and Kassaï varieties for the fluidification and energy density increase of cassava gruel

Abstract

The energy density of the complementary gruels can be increased by the use of sprouted flours. This led us to determine the conditions for obtaining and using sprouted corn flour for optimal fluidification of fermented cassava flour gruels. To do this, the germinated corn flour (GCF) varieties Atp and Kassaï was produced according to the response surface methodology and the Doehlert plan was used with factors such as soaking (12–48 h) and germination (24–96 h) times. Once obtained, these GCF were used to increase the energy density of cassava flour gruels with flow velocity as response. The Doehlert plan was also used with fermented cassava flour concentration (17.5–30 %) and optimised sprouted corn flour mass (1–5 g) as factors. The experimental design that had been performed indicated that the effectiveness of corn amylase flour to fluidify the gruels depends not only to the conditions of production (soaking and germination) (p < 0.05) but also their incorporation during the preparation (corn amylase–fermented cassava flour) (p < 0.05). The rich corn amylase flour can be obtained by soaking Kassaï and Atp varieties for 20 h and 28 h respectively and germinated for 90.82 h. Application of these GCF during the preparation of fermented cassava flour gruels has shown that to obtain gruels with flow velocities between 100-160 mm/30s, it was necessary to couple 1.16 g of sprouted corn flour variety Kassaï for 26.23 % of fermented cassava flour and 1.12 g of corn flour variety Atp for 25.94 % of fermented cassava flour. The use of these couples has made it possible to multiply the energy density of the gruels by 6.55 and 6.49, respectively. In view of these results, it is therefore advisable to use the germinated corn flours produced under the conditions obtained to fluidise and increase the energy density of the fermented cassava gruels.