QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF MAIZE OGI FLOUR ENRICHED WITH OKRA SEED FLOURS, PROTEIN CONCENTRATE, PROTEIN ISOLATE AND HYDROLYSATES

Abstract

The need to improve the nutrient quality of local but widely accepted food informs the use of okra seed bye products to improve the quality characteristics of maize ogi. Whole flour was obtained from matured okra seed. The whole flour was subsequently defatted to produce defatted flour (DF) and concentrated to obtain protein concentrate. The protein isolate was obtained by combined processes of solubilization, precipitation and neutralization of defatted flour. The protein isolate was hydrolysed using pepsin, pancreatin and trypsin enzymes to obtain pepsin hydrolysate, pancreatin hydrolysate and trypsin hydrolysate respectively. Maize ogi was prepared using established procedures and the okra seeds bye products was added to the prepared ogi at 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 % concentrations. The enriched samples were evaluated for proximate composition, physicochemical properties and pasting properties. The results showed increase in the protein and ash contents of the enriched samples as the concentrations of the okra seed bye products increased in the mixtures. The pasting properties of the enriched sampled were affected depending on the percentages of addition of the okra seed bye products to the maize ogi. The study concluded that okra seed protein flours and by extension, the protein bye products are potential candidates for fortifying starch-based foods.