Physicochemical and functional properties of cassava flour produced by controlled fermentation using mixed culture from various bacteria and yeast

Among tuber commodities, cassava is the most easily damaged and has a short shelf life. Flour is an intermediate product that can extend the shelf life of cassava and expand its utilization. In Indonesia, cassava flour is the local flour with the most potential for use as a substitute for wheat in various processed products. The study aimed to characterize the physicochemical and functional properties of cassava flour derived from six cassava cultivars widely grown in Indonesia fermented using mixed culture of various bacteria and yeast. Cassava tubers were obtained from Malang, East Java and Wonosobo, Central Java. Cassava flour was produced using controlled fermentation with four replications. The nutritional properties such as ash, fat, protein, carbohydrates, starch, amylose, crude fiber, pasting properties, flour crystallinity, and surface morphology of the product obtained from the present study were evaluated. The results showed that cassava flour contained 7–8 % moisture content, 1.39–2.22 % ash, 0.82–1.65 % fat, 0.81–2.17 % protein, 86.9–89.3 % carbohydrates, 54–76 % starch, 21–24 % amylose, and 1.0–1.9 % crude fiber. The gelatinization profile of cassava flour was classified as type A paste with a high peak viscosity (7455.88–8826.63 cp) achieved in a short time (3.21–3.74 min), and a paste temperature of 68.98–72.39 °C. Cassava flour showed typical type A starch crystallinity with a peak at 2θ angle of around 20°. These findings underlie the potential use of controlled fermentation technique to produce cassava flour from various cassava cultivars. • Fermented cassava flour has distinct physicochemical and functional properties. • L. bulgaricus, A. aceti, and S. cerevisiae were used to improve cassava flour. • Mixed starter culture from bacteria and yeast result in high quality cassava flour. • Fermented cassava flour can be selected as suitable materials for food applications.