ABSTRACT
The present study was undertaken to investigate the physicochemical and microbiological qualities of melon seed powder sold in some open Ghanaian markets. Twenty-five samples of powder were collected randomly from each of four major markets and analyzed for moisture, pH, total ash, acid insoluble ash, and free fatty acids (FFA) using standard methods. The microbial population was determined using the pour plate method. Melon seed powder samples had a neutral pH (6.9-7.3) and contained significant amounts of ash (0.1-0.6%). Acid insoluble ash of powder from one market was high (0.6%) and possibly indicate contamination with siliceous earth material. FFA ranged between 4.1 and 11.6% for powder from the four markets. Levels of lead were higher (0.4-0.8 ppm) than other metals such as cadmium (0.02 ppm) and copper (0.3-0.6 ppm). HQ values >1 were recorded for Pb, implying a greater risk of toxicity to consumers. Counts for aerobic bacteria, fecal coliforms, and yeast and molds were in the range of 3.2-4.4, 1.6-4.0, 1.4-2.8, and 1.1-3.2 log CFU/g correspondingly for these organisms. E. coli was not detected in any of the melon seed powder samples analyzed. This study highlights the need for proper handling of melon seed during processing, storage, and distribution, to safeguard its quality for consumers.
ABSTRACT
The physicochemical and functional properties of dried okra seed flour of two genotypes Agbagoma and Balabi were evaluated. The samples Agbagoma and Balabi had 8.90%-9.00% moisture, 16.80%-17.40% protein, 47.80%-48.00% fat, 7.70%-7.80% ash, and 18.20%-18.40% carbohydrate. The mean values of functional properties revealed significant differences (p < .05) between okra seed flour samples studied. The samples' bulk density range was 0.80-0.83 g/ml. Water absorption capacity and oil absorption capacity ranged from 511.65% to 504.32% and 88.38 to 160.67%, respectively. The solubility was 14.10% for Agbagoma and 10.97% for Balabi, whereas swelling power was 16.37% and 14.68% for Agbagoma and Balabi, respectively. All pasting properties except peak time and pasting temperature of Agbagoma seed flour were higher than those of Balabi seed flour. The study revealed that dried okra seed flour is rich in nutrients, which could be used for baking and fortification of foods.
ABSTRACT
The physicochemical properties of water yam (Dioscorea alata var. Akaba and Matches) starches were determined prior to their use as congeals for yogurt production. The moisture content ranged from 9.34% to 15.8% for A100 (100% Akaba) and M100 (100% Matches), respectively, indicating lower moisture content in the Akaba variety compared to Matches variety. Similar trend was observed for their water activity. The pH ranged from 5.88 to 6.93 indicating low acidity of the water yam starches. The water absorption capacity (WAC) ranged from 4.10 to 4.89 g/g, seemingly restricted reflecting protein-moisture interaction of the starches. Although the swelling power did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) ranging from 10% to 14%, they were quite restrictive as the WAC. The L* values of the starches were predominantly lightness in color, highest for A100 sample. The pasting temperatures of Akaba (A100), Matches (M100), and A50:M50 were not significantly different (p > 0.05). Peak viscosity of the water yam starches was in a range of 509-528 BU. The highest attributes were for taste (6.4), mouthfeel (5.4), flavor (5.4) sourness (4.6) and consistency (5.9), which were obtained from 1.5 % Matches, 0.5 % Akaba + 0.5 % Matches, 1.0 % Akaba + 1.0 % Matches samples. The overall acceptability (5.8) was higher than the control yogurt (4.7), indicating sample 0.5% Akaba + 0.5% Matches as the best-bet yogurt.
