Abstract:
Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is very perishable and bulky. One way of prolonging its shelf-life is by drying. The study was conducted to investigate the effects of drying on proximate, starch, sugar compositions and functional properties of cassava flour. Three drying methods (open sun, solar and oven) were used to produce the dry cassava chips out of which the cassava flours were obtained. Determinations of moisture, ash, starch, crude fibre, protein, crude fat, sugar, carbohydrate contents and functional properties of the cassava flour were carried out using standard methods. The results showed that all parameters examined were affected by the drying methods except starch and crude fibre which showed no significant differences for the three drying methods. The moisture contents of the flours were 5.95%, 9.49% and 11.18% for oven, solar and open sun drying respectively. Ash contents were 2.13%, 3.25% and 3.58% for open sun, solar and oven drying respectively whereas the protein contents were 0.73%, 1.00% and 1.15% for open sun, solar and oven drying respectively. The crude fibre contents were 1.83% (open sun), 2.01% (solar) and 2.71(oven drying) while crude fat contents were 0.64% (open sun), 0.51% (solar) and 0.49% (oven drying). Carbohydrates contents were 83.48%, 83.72% and 86.10% for open sun, solar and oven respectively. The starch contents were 83.62% (open sun), 82, 39% (solar) and 84. 04% (oven) and the sugar contents were 11.14%, 22.48% and 16.107% for open sun, solar and oven respectively. The swelling capacity, foam capacity, foam stability, water absorption capacity, oil absorption capacity, bulk density and solubility of the cassava flours from the various drying methods ranged between 9.233 – 12.513, 9.207 – 14.363, 48.037 – 60.193, 122.103 – 151.257, 100.247 – 174.777, 0.578 – 0.715 and 10.883 – 15.533 respectively. On the whole, the results indicate that oven–dried samples had best nutritional value, functional properties and keeping abilities followed by solar and then open sun
