ABSTRACT

Composite flour was prepared from red cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagitIfo1ium schoit), soybean (Glycinc max) and wheat (Triticum aestirum) at different proportions. The different blends of flour were used to produce cake. The flour was tested for proximate composition, functional properties and anti-nutritional properties. The flour samples have proximate compositions ranging from 19.31% - 10.84% protein, 9.70% - 8.74% moisture, 3.06% - 2.10% ash, 3.94% - 1.85% crude fiber, 74.02%-56.36% carbohydrate and 7.61% - 1.74% fats. The functional properties ranged from 2.39% -1.77% water absorption capacity, 1.94%- 1 .67%oil absorption capacity,3 .67%-3 .24%swelling index, 1.50%- 0.50%gellation capacity, 75.00%-70.00% gelatinization temperature, 25.29% - 19.45%emulsion capacity,15.78% - 10.75%emulsion stability and 66.50% - 32.00% wettability. The anti-nutritional properties ranged from 15% - 0.45% oxalate, 0.83%- 0.49% tannin, O.78%-O.29% phytic acid. Proximate composition was also determined on cake, anti-nutritional properties, physical parameters and sensory evaluation. The cake showed improved proximate composition on protein, carbohydrate, crude fiber, fat, ash and dry matter and minimal percentage of anti-nutritional factor. Finally, the result of I sensory evaluation showed that sample 130 (soybean 50%: wheat flour50%) and sample 804(20%cocoayam 40%soyabean and 40% wheat) competed greatly with the control sample 410 in terms of general acceptability.