Optimization of wheat-high quality cassava-mango peel-soybean composite flours for optimal noodles nutritional composition, antioxidant properties and sensory acceptability

Abstract

Noodles, due to the convenient preparation, is fast becoming a staple food worldwide. Production of noodles with a reduction of wheat composition could enhance food security in the non-wheat-producing developing world and can improve its nutritional and sensory attributes. In this study, the potential of composite flour from wheat-high-quality cassava-mango peel-soybean blends in optimized noodles production was investigated. The use of a four-component flour-constrained [wheat (30 -100 %), high-quality cassava (0 -50 %), mango peel (0 -50 %), and soybean (0 -50 %)] D-optimal mixture experimental design with twenty randomized experimental runs was adopted for the noodles development. Noodles’ proximate composition, antioxidant properties, colour intensity and sensory acceptability were determined using standard procedures. Noodles' moisture content ranged between (7.88–10.88 %), protein (5.95–25.12 %), fat (3.04–11.94 %), ash (2.9–12.24 %), crude fiber (0.38–6.97 %), and carbohydrate (45.47–77.68 %), and energy value (320.42–394.52 Kcal). The total flavonoid content ranged between (0.44–4.12 mgQuercetin/g), total phenolic content (3.27–25.14 mgGAE/100 g), 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (13.65–89.88 %), ferric reducing antioxidant power (1.55–4.33 mg/g), total antioxidant capacity (0.88–3.83 mgGAE/g). The instrumental lightness of noodles ranged from 20.5 to 40.62, redness/greenness from 2.45 to 4.51, and yellowness/blue from 4.81 to 12.34. Panelists’ assessment of noodles' sensory attributes ranged from slight likeness to very much likeness. Flour blend composition significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the proximate, antioxidant, and color properties of noodles. Noodles with optimal nutrient composition, antioxidant properties and sensory acceptability was predicted to be from wheat (30 %), HQCF (31.34 %), mango peel (27.55 %) and soybean (11.11 %) flour blend. Enrichment of noodles with protein and antioxidant-rich sources resulted in improved chemical composition and acceptability.