This study investigated some quality attributes of unripe cooking banana (UBF), pigeon pea (PPF), and sweetpotato (SPF) flour blends. Simplex centroid mixture design was used to obtain 17 blends from the flours. The nutrient composition, color, and functional properties of the blends were evaluated using standard methods. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and treatment means were compared using Duncan's multiple range test at 5% probability level. There were significant (p < .05) differences in the nutrient composition, and functional and pasting properties of the blends. The crude protein, crude fiber, ash, foaming capacity, emulsion capacity, and least gelation capacity of the blends increased as the PPF level increased. The blends had Na/K ratio of <1.0. The dispersibility, bulk density, water, and oil absorption capacities of the blends increased as SPF and UBF increased. The peak, setback, and final viscosities increased as UBF and SPF inclusion increased,whereas pasting temperature and time increased as the PPF level increased. The L*, a*, and b* values of the flour blends which were significantly (p < .05) different ranged from 79.58 to 102.71, −0.15 to 2.79, and 13.82 to 23.69, respectively. Cooking banana-pigeon pea-sweetpotato flour blends are desirable for alleviating malnutrition in Nigeria and developing new food formulations. K E Y W O R D SFunctional properties, nutrient composition, pigeon pea, sweetpotato, unripe cooking banana | INTRODUCTIONAccording to Noorfarahzihah, Lee, Sharifudin, Mohd-Fadzelly, and Hasmadi (2014), composite flour is defined as a mixture of flours from tubers (e.g. cassava, yam, sweetpotato) and/or legumes (e.g. soybean, pigeon pea, peanut) and/or cereal (e.g. maize, wheat, rice, millet, buckwheat). The use of composite flour has been identified by researchers as possible avenue of producing high-quality nutritious food productsand a means of reducing the huge amount of foreign exchange spent by Nigeria in the importation of wheat flour (Olaoye, Onilude, & Idowu, 2006;Nwosu, 2013;Vaughan, Afolami, Oyekale, & Ayegbokiki, 2014).Basically, banana is an essential source of minerals (iron, zinc, selenium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium), vitamins (A, B1, B2, B6, and C), polyphenols, resistant starch, and antioxidants , 2015). The objective of this study was therefore to determine the nutrient composition, functional, and pasting properties of flour blends from unripe cooking banana, pigeon pea, and sweet potato. | MATERIALS AND METHODS | Materials | Production of unripe banana flourThe procedure described by Daramola and Osanyinlusi (2006) in | Production of pigeon pea flourThe method described by Fasoyiro et al. (2010) seeds were cleaned, sorted, and cooked in boiling water for 20 min.The seed coats were dehulled using a Philips blender, drained, and dried in the Genlab Cabinet dryer at 60°C for 48 hr. The dried pigeon pea seeds were allowed to cool at room temperature, and milled and packaged, as described for banana flour. | Production of...

Biscuits were produced from 14 flour blends of cooking banana (UBF), pigeon pea (PPF), and sweet potato (SPF). The physical properties, nutrient composition, and sensory characteristics of the biscuits were evaluated using standard methods. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance, and mean values were separated using Duncan's multiple range test. The hardness of the biscuit samples decreased as PPF increased, while the fracturability decreased with increase in UBF. Biscuits were significantly (p < .05) different in their nutrient composition, with the crude protein, crude fiber, ash contents, and dietary fiber content increasing as the PPF level increased. Cookies were rich in magnesium (576.54–735.06 mg/100 g) with favorable Na/K ratio (<1.0). The antinutritional factors in the biscuit samples were within permissible levels. Biscuits prepared from flour blend of 21.67% unripe cooking banana, 21.67% pigeon pea, and 56.67% sweet potato were the most preferred in terms of shape, mouthfeel, taste, crunchiness, and overall acceptability. Flour blends of unripe cooking banana, pigeon pea, and sweet potato could therefore be used as raw materials for the production of biscuits, with high protein, total dietary, and energy content.

Indexing p. 1  Editorial Bord p. 1  Guide for Authors p. 3  Manuscript preparation p. 5

Sprouting of grains improves their nutritional value and functionality, but information on the appropriate sprouting time required to obtain an optimum quality of mungbean flour is limited. This study evaluated the attributes of mungbean flour as influenced by sprouting time. Mungbean seeds were cleaned, sorted, surface‐sterilised, rinsed and sprouted (28°C and 26% R.H) for 24 to 120 hr. Proximate, amino acids (AA), vitamins, mineral, anti‐nutritional (phytate, tannin, oxalate, trypsin inhibitor, raffinose and stachyose) composition, functional properties (viscosity, bulk density and swelling index), microbial quality (total plate and mould counts) and energy of the flours obtained from the sprouted seeds were analysed. Data were subjected to analysis of variance and the means separated by Duncan's Multiple Range Test. Significant (P < 0.05) differences were observed in the energy contents, chemical and functional properties of mungbean flour. There was no fungal growth in the samples until after 72 hr. Leucine, followed by lysine, was the dominant essential AA while methionine was the least. In conclusion, increase in sprouting period improved the nutrient composition but reduced the anti‐nutrients of mungbean flour. Samples sprouted for 24 hr had the highest total essential and conditionally essential AA.

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