Abstract:
In Sri Lanka, Arrowroot (Maranta arundinacea) is an underutilized tuber crop with
tremendous potential for producing gluten-free, nutritious flour that could be used as
a wheat flour substitute. This study aimed to evaluate the colour attributes of
Arrowroot flour from five different Provinces in Sri Lanka to determine whether the
growing area had an impact on the colour of the flour. From Western, North-Western,
Southern, Uva, and Sabaragamuwa Provinces three locations were selected for
sampling since they have favourable climatic conditions for growing Arrowroot. The
colour parameters L* (lightness), a* (redness), and b* (yellowness) were measured
using a Colourimeter (PCE-CSM 2, United States). The lightness of the flour samples
was found to be significantly different from one another. The a* values for flour
samples collected from five Provinces did not differ significantly. The mean a* values
ranged from 1.07 to 1.40. The b* results for Arrowroot flour samples from five
different Provinces had a range of 6.85 – 8.69. The Province with the highest b* was
Sabaragamuwa, while the Province with the lowest was Southern (6.85). The overall
L*a*b* colour coordinates of Arrowroot flour samples from five Provinces
coordinated around the white colour with minor positive values for red and yellow
colours. L* and a* (-0.75; p <0.05) and L* and b* (-0.788; p <0.05) had negative
moderate correlations, indicating that when the a* and b* values increase, the flour
sample's lightness decreases. Arrowroot flour has a higher level of colour similarity,
indicating that the growing area has a lesser influence on the colour of flours. The
similar colour attributes of flours from different growing areas in Sri Lanks enable the
use of composite flours from different places without significant colour variations. It
is beneficial in the large scale Arrowroot flour production for the food industry.
