Proximate and Physicochemical Properties of Flours from Improved Sorghum and Cassava Varieties Grown in Awka, South Eastern Nigeria
Abstract
Flours are among the essential raw materials used in industries such as food, pharmaceutical and other industries for the production of different products. Scarcity and undesirable qualities of flours now lead to search for plant materials of improved qualities from which flours of high value can be isolated. Improved variety of sorghum and cassava from the Anambra State Agricultural Development Program (ADP) were employed in this research. The proximate and physicochemical analyses were done using standard methods. Results showed that the sorghum and cassava yielded 44.8% and 68.7% quantities of pale white and white colour respectively with neutral pH. Sorghum flours had 4.35±0.11%, 2.6±0.23%, 0.26±0.03%, 3.28±0.06%, 2.16±0.10% and 25.02±1.02% respectively for moisture, ash content, fat content, crude protein, crude fibre and carbohydrate content. Cassava flour gave 5.24±0.58% (moisture), 3.35±1.02% (ash), 0.18±0.45% (fat), 1.02±0.33% (crude protein), 3.14±2.02% (crude fibre) and 28.06±0.54% (carbohydrate). Sorghum flour isolated also had 240.6±1.3%, 123.1±0.8%, 800.5±2.0%, 3.5±3.1%, 22.5±0.5%, 67.0±0.7 and 0.78±0.2% for water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, swelling power, solubility index, amylose content, amylopectin content and bulk density respectively while cassava flour showed 260.4±2.0% (water absorption capacity), 128.0±1.1% (oil absorption capacity), 744.3±2.2% (swelling power), 4.3±2.0% (solubility index), 32.0±1.2% (amylose), 78.0±0.2% (amylopectin) and 0.89±0.1% (bulk density). The two isolated flours showed good pasting properties with peak viscosity and final viscosity of 2215±2RVU and 1126±2 RVU for sorghum flour and 3204±5 RVU and 1422±3 RVU for cassava flour. It is therefore deduced that flours isolated from the improved sorghum and cassava varieties will be suitable and cheap source of raw material for food, pharmaceutical and other industries due to their high qualities.
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Introduction
Guinea corn (Sorghum bicolar) is a grass specie cultivated for its grain which is used as energy food. It belongs to the grass family poaceae (Al-Suwaiegh et al., 2002). It originated in Africa about 3000 to 5000 years ago (Odibo et al., 2002; Sophina et al., 2017). The crop is environmental friendly, water-efficient, requires little or no fertilizer, can resist pest attack and its refuse is biodegradable (FAO, 1995, Al-Suwaiegh et al., 2002). The grains are consumed as food as well as being used in industries like brewing industries for malt production (Ogbonna and Okolo, 2005; Sophina et al., 2017). Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a perennial shrub with an edible starchy root, which grows in the tropics and sub-tropical areas of the world (Burrell, 2003; Umeh, 2011).
Food and Agriculture Organisation, FAO, (FAOSTAT, 2011) estimates the world production of cassava at more than 230 million metric tonnes annually with major producing countries to include Nigeria, which produced 37.5 million tonnes per annum (Hasmadi et al., 2020). Cassava ranks second only to cereal grains as the chief source of energy in Nigerian diet (Umeh, 2011). By this, cassava plays an important role in alleviating African food crises, though poor in protein (about 1.2%) and rich in cyanide (>10mg/100g fresh weight) in some varieties (Nwabueze and Odunsi, 2006; Cumbana et al., 2007; Umeh, 2011). Cassava varieties cultivated indifferent regions differ in their nutritional, proximate and other physicochemical properties (Cumbana et al., 2007; Hasmadi et al., 2020). In the tropics, cassava is the most important root crop and as source of energy, the calorific value is high compared to most starchy crops (Hasmadi et al., 2020). Cassava root contains a number of mineral elements, inappreciable amounts, that are useful in the human diet. The root contains significant amounts of iron, phosphorus and calcium, and is relatively rich in vitamin C (Enidiok et al., 2008; Hasmadi et al., 2020). It is an important component in the diets of many people around the world (FAO, 2007) and is the third-largest carbohydrate food source within the tropical regions, after rice and corn (Ceballos et al., 2006; Hasmadi et al., 2020). Cassava is a food security crop (Barratt et al., 2006) and the roots can be left inside in the soil for up to two years without spoilage. Cassava cannot be consumed as afresh food item due to its cyanide content but can be processed into various food and non-food products, such as starch, flour, beverages, animal feeds, biofuels and textiles (Tewe and Lutaladio, 2004; Hasmadi et al., 2020). The nutritional value of cassava roots is important because they are the main part of the plant consumed in developing countries. However, there is much variation in the nutrient quality of the cassava root depending on several factors, such as geographic location, variety, age of the plant, and environmental conditions (Benesi et al., 2007; Sanni et al., 2008; Montagnac et al., 2009).
Sorghum grains and cassava tubers can be preserved by processing them into flours. The flours are employed in baking, pharmaceuticals, food and other industries for production of different products. This work therefore determined the proximate and physicochemical properties of flours of improved cassava variety (TMS 30555), called Onuanwuru and improved sorghum variety (SC 114) cultivated by the Anambra State Agricultural Development Program (ADP).
Conclusion
These improved sorghum and cassava varieties were able to yield high quantity of flours greater than other varieties from literature. Their physicochemical and functional properties show encouraging characteristics for them to be used in various industries. The values of their pasting properties also made them food flours for food as well as pharmaceutical industries.
