FUNCTIONAL AND PASTING PROPERTIES OF PUMPKIN (Cucurbita pepo) SEED PRODUCTS

Atuonwu, A .C and Akobundu, E.  N. T

Department of Food Science and Technology

Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria.

E-mail:adatuonwu@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

Proteins of plant origin form an alternative to animal proteins for food and non food use. The use of oil seed proteins for non-food applications show growing potential but the protein products are limited at present and are mostly marketed for the food industry as they confer desirable functional properties when added to food. This work focused on the functionality of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo) seed flour, protein concentrate and isolate in relation to food applications. Pumpkin seed was processed into defatted flour (CPF), which was further processed into protein concentrate (CPC), and protein isolate (CPI) using alkaline water/isoelectric precipitation. The functional properties of these products were evaluated. All samples exhibited a broad range of minimum protein solubility at pH 6-8 and maximum at pH 10. Defatted pumpkin seed flour had significantly (p<0.05) higher water absorption capacity (1.60ml/g) than the protein concentrate (1.20ml/g) and isolate (1.25ml/g). The flour was a better emulsifier with emulsion capacity of 22.0% compared to the protein concentrate and isolate with emulsion capacity of 5.0% and 1.0%, respectively. The most stable emulsions were obtained at pH 12 and at 0.1%, 0.5% and 1.0% sample concentrations. Pumpkin seed protein concentrate and isolate showed poor foaming ability. Maximum foaming capacity was obtained at pH 2.0 in all the samples. Protein isolate had the least and better gelation capacity. Peak viscosity ranged from 32.83-44.25 RVU and was significantly different while the breakdown value and pasting temperature (ranging from 1.75-3.16 RVU and 93.60-94.20^oC respectively) showed no significant differences (p>0.05). This work revealed that pumpkin seed has great potentials as a food ingredient. The flour and protein concentrate exhibited better functionality and may be used as functional agents in the formulation of a wide range of new food products or as possible replacement for animal protein in conventional foods.

Keywords: Pumpkin Flour, Protein concentrate, protein isolate, Functional properties,

pasting properties.

VETIVER GRASS PERFORMANCE UNDER COMPOST AND MYCORRHIZA TREATMENTS

Y.B Oyeyiola, E.A Ewetola and J.O Ogunrinde

 Department of Agronomy

 Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

 E-mail: yettyjooda@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The influence of compost and Glumus clarum arbuscular mycorrhiza in sterilized and non – strerilized soils on the mycorrhiza infection rate (MIR) and biomass yield of vetiver grass was studied over twelve weeks. The treatment consisted of a factorial combination of two soil conditions (sterilized and non-sterilized), two levels of mycorrhiza inoculation (inoculated and non-inoculated) and four levels of compost amendment (0. 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 tons/ha). The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replications. Analysis of variance showed that compost amendment significantly influenced MIR and dry biomass yield but not with the fresh biomass yield. The dry biomass yield of the vetiver grass responded differently to mycorrhiza treatment based on the different compost rates with best performance obtained from inoculated samples that received 5.0 tons/ha. The combined effect of mycorrhiza treatment and different soil conditions was only significant on dry and fresh root weights with inoculated samples performing better in sterilized soils.

Keyword: Mycorrhiza, sterilized soil, vetiver grass, inoculation.

THE FUNCTIONAL PROPERTIES OF THE DEHULLED AND UNDEHULLED MUNGBEAN (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) FLOURS AS INFLUENCED BY PROCESSING TREATMENTS

Akaerue, Blessing I. and Onwuka, Greg I.

Department of Food Science and Technology

 Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Nigeria

E-mail: akabless2001@yahoo.com, gionwuka@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT

The study evaluated the effects of processing treatments (boiling, toasting and sprouting, at different intervals), on the functional properties of dehulled and undehulled mungbean seeds flours. Significant differences (P<0.05) existed between the functional properties of the raw and processed flours. For boiled samples, the undehulled sample boiled for 45min had the highest water absorption capacity (WAC) (3.8g/g), the 30min boiled sample had the highest oil absorption capacity (OAC) (2.0ml/g) and emulsion capacity (EC) (25.96%) while the foam capacity (FC) was highest (6.67%) in the 90min boiled sample. However, the dehulled sample boiled for 30min had the highest WAC (3.8g/g) while the OAC (2.1ml/g), EC (30.45%) and FC (8.57%) were highest in the 90min boiled sample.  For toasted samples, the undehulled sample toasted for 60min had the highest WAC (2.8g/g), highest OAC (2.2ml/g), highest EC (33.33%), and FC (94.24%). However, the dehulled sampes had the highest WAC (2.9g/g) in the 45min toasted sample, while the 30min flour gave the highest OAC (2.1ml/g), EC (33.03%) and FC (16.17%). For sprouted samples, the undehulled sample sprouted for 48h had the highest WAC (3.1g/g), EC (31.19%) and FC (18.10%) while the 72h sprouted sample had the highest OAC (1.9ml/g). However, the dehulled sample sprouted for 24h had highest WAC (3.0g/g), OAC(1.7ml/g), EC(29.64%) and FC (14.29%).Results showed that both the raw and processed mungbean flours had high gelation capacity (2-6%) and  that mungbean flour could be useful as a functional ingredient in a variety of food formulations.

Keywords: processing, functional properties, mungbean, dehulling, flour