Functional and Nutritional Properties of Various Flour Blends of Arrowroot Starch and wheat Flour

Flour blends of arrowroot starch and wheat flour were developed in the ratios of 100:0, 0:100, 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60, 50:50, and 60:40. These flour blends were investigated for their functional and nutritional properties to determine their potentials for utilizations in a variety of wheat flour-based products. The range of values of the results obtained were for: bulk density (0.37 – 0.91 g/cm3), foaming capacity (21.20 – 82.00%), foaming stability (20.80 – 80.00%), emulsion capacity (18.27 – 54.85 %), emulsion stability (12.39 – 60.29%), water absorption capacity (101.41 - 106.77%), oil absorption capacity (94.70 – 107.80%), least gelation capacity (6.00 – 10.00%), protein (6.5 – 11.28%), ash (1.37 – 3.60%), moisture (4.30 – 10.50%), fat (1.63 – 4.60%), crude fibre (2.60 – 4.20%), carbohydrate (69.70 – 78.81%), vitamin C (0.70 – 2.80 mg/100g), vitamin A (0.00 – 0.66 mg/100g), zinc (1.6 – 3.3 mg/100g), iron (0.3 – 1.2 mg/100g), copper (2.6 – 5.0 mg/100g), sodium (10.4 – 43.0 mg/100g), potassium (16.2 – 74.6 mg/100g), calcium (5.2 – 33.2 mg/100g), magnesium (4.9 – 13.6 mg/100g) and phosphorus (45.0 – 317 mg/100g). Bulk density, foaming capacity, foaming stability, emulsion capacity, emulsion stability and least gelation capacity of the flour blends decreased as the incorporation of arrowroot starch increased, while the water absorption capacity of the flour blends increased as the concentration of the arrowroot starch increased. Protein, carbohydrate, vitamin C, vitamin A, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus contents of the flour blends decreased as the substitution with arrowroot starch increased; whereas ash, moisture, fat, crude fibre, zinc, iron and copper contents increased with increased substitution. These results obtained highlighted the potentials of arrowroot starch in substituting wheat flour in wheat flour based products.