Comparative Evaluation of Nutritional and Anti-nutritional Properties of Peeled, Unpeeled and Blanched Plantain (Musa AAB) Flours and Consumer Acceptability of Their Dumplings

Abstract

This investigation evaluated some nutritional and anti-nutritional properties of flours from peeled, unpeeled, and blanched plantain (Musa AAB). Green matured plantain was peeled and sliced (PUF), peeled, sliced and soaked in boiled water (100°C) for 10 mins (PBF), sliced unpeeled (UUF), and sliced, unpeeled and soaked in boiled water (100°C) for 10 mins (UBF). Slices were dried at 65 ±1.5°C until constant weight was obtained and milled into flour (< 212 µm) using a grinding mill. Flours were evaluated for anti-nutritional, minerals and amino acid contents and protein quality indices. Dumplings prepared from flours were evaluated for sensory parameters. There were significant (P = .05) differences among flours for most properties evaluated, and for most sensory parameters of dumplings. Minerals, mineral-mineral ratios and anti-nutritional contents were significantly (P = .05) higher in unpeeled flours than peeled flours, but anti-nutrients and phytate-mineral molar ratios 0.013-0.016(Ca), .059-0.062(Fe) and 0.098-0.121(Zn) were within acceptable thresholds. Essential amino acids were slightly lower in unpeeled flours than peeled flours, but flour from unpeeled unblanched sample (UUF) was slightly higher in leucine, valine and isoleucine compared to other samples, with values of 6.47, 4.10 and 3.25mg/100g protein respectively. Protein quality indices were 54-66%, 1.52-2.22, 47-60.7% and 4.19-6.07 for EAAI, PER, BV and NI respectively, with samples PUF and UUF having highest and sample (UUF) having 59%, 2.22, 53% and 4.19 respectively. All dumpling samples had high acceptability mean scores (6-7) for most sensory parameters, while flour sample from unpeeled, unblanched matured green plantain (UUF) produced dough meal with high consumer acceptability and nutritional quality.

Effect of Pretreatment on the Physicochemical, Technological and Glycemic Properties of Plantain (Musa paradisiaca) Flour: Review Paper

“…Interestingly, this value was lower in blanched French Horn followed by citric acid treated, control and sodium metabisulphite compared to the false horn. This result corroborates with the findings of [35]. Generally, when starch or starch-based foods are heated in water beyond a critical temperature (characteristic of a particular starch), the granules absorb a large amount of water and swell to many times their original size and the starch undergoes an irreversible process known as gelatinization [12].…”

“…According to the author, this is probably because the unblanched ample was not subjected to any form of pretreatment which would speed up the rate of drying of food samples. On the contrary, [35] reported higher moisture values in blanched (100 o C for 10min) plantain flours (10.46-10.50) (peeled and unpeeled) than the unblanched samples (9.20-9.81%). Previous investigation by [26] subjected French and false horn plantain slices (10mm thick), to various pretreatments: citric acid (1% w/w) for 1 min, sodium metabisulphite (21g/l) for 1 min and steam blanching for 10 min.…”

“…Only the sodium metabisulphite treated flour had higher carbohydrate content (80.80 %). On their part, [35] observed increase carbohydrate content in blanched plantain samples. The observed increase was associated with increase fiber content due to blanching treatment, because of lose in soluble components [37][38] found significantly high (p<0.05) amylose content after 5 min blanching at 100°C (23.11) and least after 10min (19.62%) compared to the control (22.31%).…”

“…The higher protein content reported was attributed to lose of catalytic activity of proteases (which hydrolyze peptide bonds of proteins) which was very present and active in the unblanched flour [40]. [35] obtained results of decreased protein contents in blanched plantain flour samples. The decreased protein content was attributed to leaching of the watersoluble nutrients such as protein during the process.…”

“…Generally, when starch or starch-based foods are heated in water beyond a critical temperature (characteristic of a particular starch), the granules absorb a large amount of water and swell to many times their original size and the starch undergoes an irreversible process known as gelatinization [12]. This critical temperature for plantain ranges between 75 -81.95 o C [12,[35][36]. Blanching at temperature lower the gelatinization temperature (60 °C for 10 min), [11] reported faster and higher moisture loss in blanched plantain samples than in the unblanched, and attributed it to increased permeability of cell walls due to blanching favoring faster water migration to the surface for easier dehydration.…”