Effect of Fluted Pumpkin (<i>Telfairia occidentalis</i>) Seed Flour Supplementation on the Nutritional and Chemical Properties of Broken Rice Flour

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour supplementation on the nutritional and chemical composition of broken rice flour. The fluted pumpkin seeds were processed as raw, fermented and germinated and then milled into flour. The broken rice flour was substituted with defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour from each of the processed methods at 0 to 50% substitution levels. Standard analytical methods were used to determine the proximate, mineral, vitamin A and vitamin B6 composition of the flour blends. Moisture, protein, fat, ash, fiber and carbohydrate contents ranged from 6.17 – 9.45%, 6.35 – 20.61%, 2.06 – 24.06%, 0.62 – 4.02%, 0.07 – 1.76% and 45.10 – 81.43% respectively. Calcium, magnesium, iron, manganese, sodium, potassium and copper contents ranged from 39.73 – 160.00mg/100g, 24.26 – 216.70mg/100g, 0.88 – 2.49mg/100g, 1.04 – 3.35mg/100g, 0.017 – 0.066mg/100g, 30.00 - 53.25mg/100g and 0.017 – 0.038mg/100g respectively. Vitamin A and B6 contents increased significantly (P<0.05) with increased supplementation with defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour. In general, supplementation of broken rice flour with defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour improved the nutritional and chemical composition of the flour blends and food products made from these flour blends could help to reduce protein-energy malnutrition prevalent in some regions.