Abstract
The objective of this study was to compare the compositional and functional properties of tropical flour sources (two breadfruit flours (type A and type B) and a banana flour) with a more traditional flour source (wheat flour). Macro-nutrient composition, pH, water and oil holding capacity, bulk density, particle size, solubility, swelling power, pasting properties, and thermodynamics (gelatinization and retrogradation) were determined. All flours evaluated were similar in their composition with high levels of carbohydrates (greater than 82.52 g/100 g on a dry-matter basis), with most of the carbohydrate content comprised of starch (greater than 67.02 g/100 g). The tropical fruit flours had greater (p < 0.05) water holding capacity than wheat flour. Breadfruit flour B had the lowest (p < 0.05) bulk density, while banana flour had the greatest (p < 0.05) bulk density. The swelling power of the tropical flours was greater (p < 0.05) than the wheat flour. The viscosity of the tropical flours was higher than wheat flour but decreased significantly when temperature was held at 130 °C. These results indicated that the two breadfruit flours and banana flour have great potential for application in processed food products, and have similar compositional attributes to a more traditional flour.
Highlights
Starches are an important ingredient used for many purposes in the food manufacturing industry.Common sources of starches include those from some of the most commonly grown staple crops in the world like wheat [1,2]
The main compositional component of the two breadfruit flours, banana flour, and wheat flour was carbohydrates, with most of the carbohydrates comprised of starch
Tropical fruit flours, especially that from banana, exhibited a dramatically greater retrogradation enthalpy compared with wheat flour, indicating a high propensity of tropical fruit flour amylopectin re-associated during storage
Summary
Common sources of starches include those from some of the most commonly grown staple crops in the world like wheat [1,2]. There is a goal among food scientists to adequately characterize flour from unique staple crops for future use in processed food products. Tropical climates are suitable for production of many unique staple crops such as breadfruit [3] and banana [4]. Breadfruit is a rich source of starch and has shown promise as a food ingredient when incorporated into meat products [7]. Bananas are grown in all tropical regions and constitute a major staple food crop in many economies in the developing world. Bananas are the world’s fourth most valuable food crop in terms of gross production value behind rice, wheat, and corn [4]
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