Evaluation of the effect of coconut flour addition on the physicochemical and functional properties of wheat flour

Abstract

The use of wheat flour alone in the formulation of many products in Africa not only causes a large deficit in the balance of trade, but also nutritional problems, as it is poor in many nutrients. Thus, the present article concern the physico-chemical and functional properties of flours formulated from coconut and wheat. Coconut pulp was used to formulate the flours in association with wheat flour. Using the two-factor centered mixture design, we generated five formulations (F1 to F5) and then the physico-chemical and functional properties were performed. Physico-chemical and functional properties revealed a variation in the various parameters with the substitution percentage. In fact, fiber, lipid, protein, and ash content, as well as energy density, increased with the percentage of coconut flour. The same phenomenon was observed with minerals. All the functional and physical properties were significantly (P˂0.05) improved by substitution. Principal component analysis showed small-group correlation between some samples overall. These results show the need to partial substitute wheat with foods from other classes in order to improve the nutritional values and functional properties of derived products. In addition, they offer a way out for African policies to reduce wheat imports and thus retain foreign currency.