Chemical Composition and the Effect of Salts on the Food Properties of Triticum durum Wholemeal Flour

Abstract

The proximate composition, nutritionally valuable minerals and the effect of some salts (NaCl, NaNO₃, Na₂SO₃, Na₂CO₃, CH₃COONa) on the food properties of Triticum durum wholemeal flour were investigated on dry weight basis. Both the protein and carbohydrate values were high with respective values of 20.21g/100g and 65.7g/100g. Many minerals were either not detected or low but phosphorus was high with a value of 4285.71mg/100g. The lowest gelation concentration varied between 2.0 in Na₂CO₃ (0.5% w/v) and 10.0 in CH₃COONa and Na₂SO₃ (15.0% w/v). The highest value of water absorption capacity was 230.33g/100g at 2.0% w/v CH₃COONa. The oil emulsion capacity varied from 20.0g/100g at 1.0% w/v Na₂CO₃ to 80.0g/100g at 0.5%w/v NaCl. The oil emulsion stability (cm³) was generally good in most of the salts and in all their concentrations with rate of change (cm³ /h) ranging from 1.54 to 3.75 at 24h. The foaming capacity ranged between 4.0% at 20.0% w/v CH₃COONa and 72.0% at 0.5% w/v NaNO₃. The foaming stability values were high in NaN0₃ and Na₂SO₃ while the rate of change (%min^-1) ranged between 0.06 and 1.67 at 1050 minutes. The protein solubility recorded two maxima under the pH and salt concentrations suggesting that the sample might be having two distinct proteins. These results indicated that T. durum would be potentially useful in some food formulations.