ABSTRACT

This study investigated the glycemic index (GI) and nutrient composition of breakfast food produced from flour blends of whole wheat, cooking banana and pumpkin pulp. The flours were blended into five different proportions, sample 100: 0: 0 W-P-C, sample 90: 10: 0 W-P-C, sample 70: 20: 10 W-P-C, sample 35: 30: 35 W-P-C, sample 10: 20: 70 W-P-C, sample 0: 10: 90 W-P-C ad sample 0: 0: 100 W-P-C (W=whole wheat flour, P= Pumpkin pulp flour, C= cooking banana flour). The different flour samples were used to produce different breakfast foods. Seventy healthy, non-diabetic human subjects was used for the study. The anthropometric data of the human subjects was determined. The result revealed that their Body Mass Index (BMI) ranged between 21.62 and 23.63 kg/m2 which is within the normal range. The breakfast food samples were subjected to proximate composition, dietary fiber, carbohydrate characterization, and carotenoid content analysis. The results of the proximate composition revealed that the moisture content ranged from 7.88 to 8.85%, crude protein 2.87 to 14.67%,  fat 0.87 to 2.86%, crude fibre 1.6 1 to 10.37%, ash 1.97 to 3.01%, carbohydrates 61.91 to 83.91%. The caloric value (energy) ranged from 330.76 to 353.32 Kcal. The result of the dietary fibre showed that the soluble fibre ranged from 2.10 to 3.07%, insoluble fibre 8.68 to12.24%, total fibre 11.75 to14.86%.The carbohydrate characterization results revealed that the digestible starch content of the breakfast food samples varied significantly (p < 0.05) and it ranged from 37.76 to 67.43%. The resistant starch content ranged from 3.20% to 4.91% and the total starch content ranged from 42.67 to 71.74%. The amylose and amylopectin contents ranged from 21.79 to 28.72 % and 71.29 to 78.22% respectively. The carotenoid content of the breakfast food ranged from 9.29 to 48.38mg/g. The blood glucose response of the subjects after consumption of the breakfast food samples, the glycemic index (GI) and glycemic load values (GL) were also determined. The results obtained revealed that the glycemic indices of the formulated breakfast food samples ranged from 28.9 to 63.68. The breakfast food formulated with sample 0: 0: 100 W-P-C had the lowest glycemic index value (28.9) followed by the breakfast food with sample 35: 30: 35 W-P-C (33.27%), they can therefore serve as good diabetic foods.  This study also supports the consumption of cooking banana, whole wheat and pumpkin pulp as low glycemic index foods, they can as well serve as potential raw-materials in the formulation of diabetic foods.