Abstract

Increasing emphasis is being laid on the search for readily available agricultural products which can compete favourably with or surpass wheat in terms of functionality and nutritional composition. Fresh orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and Pleurotus tuberregium sclerotium were subjected to proximate, sugar, colour and functional analyses prior to processing into flour. Drying increased the proximate, sugar and functional properties but reduced the lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) of the samples. The flour samples were mixed into five different ratios (100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30 and 0:100) with 100% wheat flour as the control. The chemical, functional and pasting properties of the flour blends were evaluated. Significant (p<0.05) differences existed among the proximate composition, sugar content, colour and functional properties of the samples. The protein, ash, crude fibre, colour L*, water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, pasting temperature and peak time of the composite flour increased while moisture, fat, carbohydrate, fructose, glucose, sucrose, colour a*, colour b*, bulk density, swelling index, solubility, peak and setback viscosities decreased with increase in the level of sclerotium flour substitution. The sclerotium substituted OFSP flour blends compete favourably well with wheat flour in terms of chemical and functional qualities. The use of these flour blends in food development will not only aid in combating malnutrition but will also enhance OFSP and sclerotium utilization while reducing wheat importation and thus, ensure food security.

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