Tanzania Journal of Agricultural Sciences 2000, Vol. 3(1) : 31-38
African breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) seeds were parboiled and their kernels dried and milled
into flour. The flour was packed in two different materials and stored under ambient (30 .±... 2°C) conditionsfor
5 months. Chemical,junctional and organoleptic properties oftheflour before and during storage
were evaluated. Cookies were made with the flour in addition to wheat flour. Results showed that
parboilingfor 15 min did not adversely affect the vitamin C and total carotenoids contents of the kernel.
Other nutritional components - protein, oil, ash andfibre of the kernels were not deleteriously affected
by parboiling. Within 2 months of storage, 20- 28% vitamin Cand 13-17% and total carotenoids were
lost whereas after 5 months, 48-50% and 36744% of vitamin C and carotenoids were lost, respectively.
There was significant difference (P< 0.05) between the rate of depletion of vitamin .C and carotenoids.
During storage of the flour, apart from its bulk density and swelling index other junctional properties
(foam stability, emulation activity, nitrogen solubility) changed irrespective of the packaging material.
However, the flour could store for 2 months under ambient (30+ 2°C) conditions without adverse
changes in quality. Cookies made from composite