The Effects of Ripening on the Functional Properties of Plantain and Plantain Based Cake

Abstract

The effects of ripening on the chemical composition and functional properties of plantain at different post harvest stages were studied. The cake baking performance of composite flour made from the blends of the plantain flour and wheat flour at different substitution levels were also evaluated. The result of proximate analysis showed that there were slight increases in moisture content, crude fibre, and ash and fat content as ripening progressed. The carbohydrate was shown to decrease while the protein increased from 2.8% in unripe plantain to 3.5% in firm ripe plantain; it then decreased to 2.6% in softripe plantain. Emulsion capacity, oil and water absorption capacities, viscosity, and swelling capacity were found to be higher in unripe plantain flour than firmripe flour, while whipping capacity of firmripe plantain flour was slightly higher than that of unripe plantain flour. It was also observed that as ripening progressed, the drying rate of the plantain slices decreased. The result of the sensory evaluation of composite flour cake from the plantain showed that the unripe plantain flour produced more acceptable cakes than those made from the firmripe plantain flour at all levels of substitution of the wheat flour. Acceptable cakes could be produced from wheat flour substituted up to 50% with any of the plantain flours.