Abstract:
Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus) is one of the major edible foodstuffs
rich in carbohydrates and fiber. This study investigated the reduction of
postharvest losses of jackfruits by value addition. Jack fruit seeds (JFS)
flour and Jackfruit bulbs (JFB) flour were used as raw material. JFB and
JFS were subjected to mechanical drying, grinding and sieving (particle
size <200µm) to yield the JFS flour and JFB flour. The composite flour
consists of different ratio of JFS, JFB, and cassava flour (CF), corn flour
and semolina. The proximate composition, physical properties and
cooking characteristics of developed pasta were determined. Sensory
attributes of the pasta were evaluated using Hedonic scale (7-points) with
36 semi-trained panelists. The best composite flour formulation was JFS:
JFB: semolina: CF: corn flour, at the ratio of 40:40:10:5:5. Crude protein
(13.26±0.18%), crude fiber (4.91±0.61%) and ash (3.35±0.04%) were higher in the best selected composite flour than the other treatments.
Carbohydrate content (71.28%) was the lowest in T3 formulation.
However, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in moisture content
among the treatments, whereas, hardness and water activity differed
significantly (p<0.05) among the treatments. The best selected formulation
exhibited higher water absorption (1.20±0.02 g/g) and cooking time
(8.6±0.2 min) than the other treatments while cooking loss (13.3±0.4%)
was lower than the other treatments except the control. Lightness value
of pasta was decreased with increasing the amount of JFS and JFB flour.
In conclusion, value added jackfruit flour pasta has a higher potential
for commercialization as a convenient food for the consumers with busy
lifestyles.
