No abstract

The proximate composition of defatted edible groundnut flour, processed and unprocessed, has been determined. The flour contains about 38 % total carbohydrates of which oligosaccharides account for 18 %, starch 12.5 %, hemicelluloses A and B 0.5 and 3.5% respectively and fibre (cellulose) 4.5%. Sucrose 13.90 and 14.55 %, raffinose 0.89 and 0.92 %, stachyose 1.56 and 1.60 %, and verbascose 0.41 and 0.42 % represent the oligosaccharide fractions (from 70 % alcoholic extract) of unprocessed and processed flour, respectively. In addition the unprocessed flour also contained glucose 0.80% and fructose 0.41 % along with two unidentified spots 0.70 %. Hemicellulose A consisted of glucose, arabinose, and xylose (4 :0.5 : 0.1) whereas hemicellulose B had galacturonic acid, glucose, galactose, arabinose and xylose (1 :4 : 1 : 12 : 6). The fibre fraction on hydrolysis yielded predominantly glucose with only traces of galacturonic acid and rhamnose. The presence of verbascose and xylose in groundnuts has not been previously reported.

Starch has been isolated from the millet varagu in 63% yield. Study of the physical properties revealed: moderate swelling and low solubility power in water; extensive solubility in dimethyl sulfoxide, probably indicative of easy solvent penetration due to labile and heterogeneous bonding forces within the granule. Brabender amylogram indicated little retrogradation on cooling, owing to strong bonding between the linear and branched molecules of starch. The amylose content of the starch was 24% as determined by paper chromatographic fractionation and “Blue value” method.

No abstract

No abstract