ABSTRACT

Flour blends were prepared from white yam (Dioscorea rotundata), cooking banana (Musa cardaba), and soybean(Glycine max) at different proportion in the ratio of 50% yam: 50% soybean, 90% cooking banana: 10% soybean, 50% cooking banana: 50% soybean, 90% yam: 10% soybean flour respectively. The different proportions of the flour blend were converted into pellet and were fed to the test animals (rats) for a period of 7 days. The functional properties, amylose and amylopectin of the flour blends, proximate composition of the pellet samples were evaluated, blood glucose response, and glycemic index of the samples were also determined. The result obtained showed that the functional properties of the flour blends ranged from 0.42-059g/ml loose bulk density, 0.76-0.88g/ml packed bulk density, 12.00-21 .50sec wettability, 92.50-100.00% gelation stability, 88.00- 95.00%gelatinization temp, 2.09-7.86% foam capacity, 27.42-29.63% foam stability, 2.25- 3 .00%water absorption capacity, 0.75-1.60% oil absorption capacity, 13.00-13.50% emulsion stability, 37.75-43.05% emulsion capacity, 1.19-1.22% swelling index. The amylose content of the flour blends ranged from 17.35-20.64% and 79.36-80.30% amylopectin content. The proximate composition of the pellet samples ranged from 11.80- 15.40% moisture, 2.17-2.75% ash, 6.40-7.52% fat, 4.07-4.50% crude fibre, 22.60-23.65% protein and 47.57-51.29% carbohydrate. The result further revealed that the glycemic index of sample CKS (50%cooking banana: 50%soybean) had the lowest glycemic index of 62.62 followed by sample YSF (50%yam:50%soybean) with 68.04 while sample YSB (90%yam: 1 0%soybean) had the highest glycemic index of 70.48. However. the sample with equal ratio of 50%:50% had lower glycemic index which was good for reducing the risk of diabetes and other health problem associated with carbohydrate rich foods.