Technofunctional, rheological, thermal and structural properties of gorgon nut (Eurayle ferox) as affected by drying temperature

ABSTRACT

The effect of drying at different temperatures viz;60, 70, 80, and 90 degrees C on gorgon nut flour (GNF) was envisaged by the hot air oven method. The resultant flours were known as GNF-60, GNF-70, GNF-80, and GNF-90, respectively. The effect of drying on rheology and technofunctional properties was studied. The drying at different temperatures resulted in significant changes in technofunctional and pasting properties of GNF. The water and oil absorption capacities increased with the increase in drying temperature from 0.45 to 0.70 g/g and 0.35 to 0.46 g/g, respectively. The viscosity of the GNF decreased with the increase in drying temperature from 1592 to 990 cP. The increase in the drying temperature resulted in an increase in the swelling power and solubility from 7 to 11 g/g and 29% to 117%, respectively. The rise in temperature increased the gelatinisation peak temperature and reduced the gelatinization enthalpy.. The shear rate dependency on study shear stress and study shear viscosity showed a nonNewtonian behavior for all the samples. The storage modulus, G ' was found greater than the loss modulus, G '' and increased with the rise in temperature from 60 to 90 degrees C indicating the dominance of elastic behavior. The FTIR and XRD spectra revealed structural characteristic peaks with increased intensities at a higher temperature. The drying of the GNF at different temperatures is being reported for the first time and resulted in a significant alteration of the technofunctional and rheological properties. The study will serve a basis for the exploration of the GNF in industrial-related processing operations. Practical implications According to the report jointly published by the World Health Organization, Food and Agricultural Organization and the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World, about 650 million of the total world's population went hungry in 2019, with the expected 120 million addition to this figure due to Covid-19 pandemic by the end of 2020. The economically lower class people are mainly involved in hunger and malnutrition due to either unavailability or higher costs of the nutritionally rich food resources. Exploration of underutilized and nutritionally rich sources becomes the need of the hour in this type of situation. Gorgon nut being a nutritionally rich and underutilized crop of mainly Asian continent, can serve as an affordable food source to fight this hunger and malnutrition problem.