Nutritional content, physicochemical and organoleptic properties of composite noodle from water yam, pearl millet and wheat flour blends

Abstract

This study investigated the quality of composite noodles formulated from water yam, millet, and wheat composite flour. Flours were produced from white varieties of water yam tubers and pearl millet. Water yam and millet flours were blended with commercial wheat flour to obtain composite flours with different ratios: WMYF1 (100:0:0), WMYF2 (60:25:15), WMYF3 (40:40:20), WMYF4 (20:55:25), and WMYF5 (0:70:30) of wheat-millet-water yam flour (WMYF). Sample WMYF1 served as the control. The noodle samples were analyzed for proximate composition, micronutrient content, cooking characteristics, and sensory qualities using AAS, HPLC, and other standard techniques. Results showed that ash (1.70–6.25 %), fiber (1.40–10.12 %), and carbohydrate (62.56–76.71 %) contents increased in the wheat-millet-water yam composite flour samples with increasing levels of water yam and millet flours. The concentrations of the selected micronutrients in the formulated composite noodles also increased proportionally with the incorporation of water yam and millet flours. The formulated noodles exhibited desirable quality characteristics and were all rated above average (>5.0), with the noodle sample WMYF5 recording a very high overall acceptability score of 8.40. In conclusion, water yam and millet flours are rich in dietary fiber, antioxidants, and micronutrients, making them highly beneficial for blood glucose regulation and body weight management.