title: Use of indigenous technology for the production of high quality cassava flour with similar food qualities as wheat flour.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the paper was to compare the food qualities of 2 varieties (SME 1 and 2) of high quality cassava flour (HQCF) produced from indigenous technology and that of some commercially sold wheat/HQCF samples.
  
  
  METHODS
  The pH, proximate, phytochemical, antioxidant, functional properties and starch yield of the flours were carried out using standard techniques.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The wheat flours had higher bulk densities and lipids than the HQCF samples while the oil absorption capacity of the HQCF (SME 2) was higher than other fl our samples investigated. The antioxidant assays of the flours showed that they contained considerable levels of antioxidants with the HQCF sample from DAT having higher antioxidants than other flour samples studied. The HQCF (SME 1) had significantly higher (P < 0.05) starch content among the flour samples. The bacteria counts of the HQCF samples ranged from 0 to 1.4 × 10(4) cfu/ml while the fungal count ranged from 0 to 2 × 10(-3) with the unbranded wheat fl our having the highest microbial load compared with other flour samples studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The use of this indigenous technology produces HQCF with lower lipids, microbial contamination but higher flavour retaining ability, flavonoids and starch contents than wheat flour. The significant positive correlation (R2 = 0.872) between reducing power of the samples and their DPPH antioxidant activity indicate that either could be used to assay for the total antioxidant activity of cassava and wheat flour. The study underscores the need to buy flour from branded companies to reduce the risks of microbial contamination.
authors.affiliation: National Root Crops Research Institute - NRCRI, Umudike, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Ogbonnaya Chinedum
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Eleazu
authors.affiliation: Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia, Abia State, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Kate Chinedum
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Eleazu
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology/Pathology, National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Segun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kolawole
mesh_terms: D000470:Alkaloids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D005433:Flour / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D063427:Food Quality; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D002365:Manihot / Q000737:chemistry*; D013213:Starch / Q000032:analysis; D014908:Triticum / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000470:Alkaloids; D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D013213:Starch