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...

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The effect of brewers spent grain (BSG) addition (5–15% level), barrel temperature (100–110C) and screw speed (100–140 rpm) on proximate composition and functional properties of extruded yam starch‐based pasta were studied. A laboratory scale single‐screw extruder was used to obtain the extrudates. Data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using RSM based on Box–Behnken design to optimize process variables. Seventeen combinations including five replicates of the central point were performed in random order as configured for three factors. The responses are significantly affected by the process parameters with the effect of temperature more pronounced. Based on the desirability concept, the optimum conditions for processing of extrudates were found to be a barrel temperature of 110C, screw speed of 121.47 rpm and BSG level of 9.58%. PRACTICAL APPLICATION In this work, we have demonstrated practically the use of brewers spent grain (BSG) regarded as a problematic waste product in the brewing industry in the development of a yam starch‐based pasta product. The BSG at different levels was used as a source of dietary fiber in combination with variation of extrusion parameters. The extrusion process was observed to be highly effective with the aforementioned processing conditions applicable for the production of pasta products with acceptable proximate and functional properties. This is a practical way of utilizing this major problematic waste in many brewing industry and can be an addition source of revenue for the food industry.

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Open sun drying experiments in thin layers of crain-crain (CC), fever (FV) and bitter (BT) leaves grown in Abeokuta, Nigeria were conducted. The drying process took place in the falling rate period and no constant rate period was observed from the drying curves. Eight thin layer mathematical drying models were compared using the multiple determination coefficients (R2), reduced chi-square (χ2) and root mean square error (RMSE) between the observed and predicted moisture ratios. Accordingly, Midilli et al. model satisfactorily described the drying curves of the three leaves with R2 of 0.9980, χ2 of 2.0×10-4 and RMSE of 1.09×10-2 for CC leaves; R2 of 0.9999, χ2 of 2×10-6 and RMSE of 1.11×10-3 for FV leaves; and R2 of 0.9998, χ2 of 1.9×10-5 and RMSE of 3.3×10-3 for BT leaves. The effective diffusivity was found to be 52.91×10-10, 48.72×10-10 and 43.42×10-10 m2/s for CC, BT and FV leaves, respectively.