High-quality cassava starch (HQCS) produced from high-yielding low-cyanide improved cassava variety, TMS 30572, was mixed with durum wheat semolina (DWS) on a replacement basis to produce flour samples containing 0, 20, 30, 50, 70, and 100% cassava starch. They were analyzed for chemical composition (proximate, amylose, free sugars, starch, wet gluten, and cyanide) and functional properties (pasting, swelling power, solubility, water absorption, water binding, starch damage, diastatic and α-amylase activity, dough mixing, and stability). Protein, carbohydrate, fat, and ash of flour samples ranged from 0.75–12.31%, 70.87–87.80%, 0.95–4.41%, and 0.12–0.83%, respectively. Cyanide levels in all the flour samples were less than 0.1 ppm. Amylose content varied between 19.49% for cassava and 28.19% for wheat, correlating significantly with protein (r = 0.95, P = 0.004) and ash contents (r = 0.92, P = 0.01) at 5%. DWS and HQCS had similar pasting temperatures (50.2–53°C), while other pasting properties increased with increasing levels of HQCS. Dough mixing stability of samples decreased with increasing levels of HQCS. All the flour samples had α-amylase activity greater than 200. Both HQCS and DWS compare favorably well in swelling power (7.80–9.01%); but the solubility of wheat starch doubled that of cassava. Starch damage varied between 3.3 and 7.2 AACC for semolina and starch, with the latter having higher absorption rate (97%), and the former, higher absorption speed (67 sec). Results obtained showed positive insight into cassava–wheat blend characteristics. Data thus generated provide additional opportunities of exploiting cassava utilization and hence boost its value–addition potentials for product development.

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The major goals in the management of diabetes are to maintain optimum control of high blood glucose level or hyperglycemia. Dietary modification is one of the most recommended treatment modalities for diabetic patients. The use of foods sweetened with sugar alcohols (also known as polyols) such as xylitol, sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol, lactitol, isomalt and erythritol has brought an escalating interest in the recent years since some sugar alcohols do not rise plasma glucose, as they are partially digested and metabolised. Diet composition and adequacy may be altered by replacing carbohydrates with sugar alcohols. It has been established that these polyols are appropriate sugar substitutes for a healthy lifestyle and diabetic foods. The present review focuses on the evidence supporting the use of sugar alcohols in the management of diabetes, by evaluating their physical and chemical properties, metabolism, absorption, glycemic and insulinemic responses. Although documentation on the glycaemic and insulinemic response of polyols is evident that these compounds have beneficial effects on the better management of hyperglycemia, the possible side effects associated with their normal or higher dosages warned their use according to the relevant Food & Drug Administration guidelines. For the same reason, future studies should also focus on the possible toxicity and side effects associated with the consumption of sugar alcohols in order to define their safety.