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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Moisture Desorption and Thermodynamic Characteristics of Nixtamalized Maize and Fermented Cassava Flour Blends
1
Centre for Food Technology and Research, Benue State University, PMB 102119 Makurdi, Nigeria
2
Department of Chemistry, Benue State University, PMB 102119 Makurdi, Nigeria
3
Department of Food Science and Technology, College of Food Technology and Human Ecology, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Nigeria
Submission date: 2025-02-19
Acceptance date: 2025-05-12
Corresponding author
Ndi B. Bongjo
Chemistry, Centre for Food Technology and Research, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria, NEW GRA, CEFTER BSU, PMB 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria
Chemistry, Centre for Food Technology and Research, Benue State University, Makurdi, Nigeria, NEW GRA, CEFTER BSU, PMB 102119, Makurdi, Nigeria
KEYWORDS
TOPICS
Natural foodEffects on food qualityFermentationPackagingShelf-life/storageCereals and GrainsCarbohydratesDietary fiberCompositionInteractions
ABSTRACT
This study examined the moisture desorption and thermodynamic characteristics of four blends from nixtamalized/non-nixtamalized maize flour and fermented/non-fermented cassava flour. Maize grains were nixtamalized by their cooking in 1% Ca(OH)2 solution and 12 h steeping. Cassava flour was fermented by the backslopping method. The flour blends were constituted in the ratio of 2:1 (w/w) of maize to cassava flour. Desorption isotherms were determined at temperatures ranging from 10°C to 40°C using a gravimetric method. The experimental data were fitted to the Guggenheim–Anderson–de Boer (GAB), Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) and Oswin models to characterize the moisture desorption behavior. Results revealed that the use of nixtamalized and fermented flours in blends significantly influenced the desorption isotherms yielding type II isotherms. BET and GAB models exhibited percent root mean square of error at <10%, with the GAB equation showing the best fit for the desorption data. The monolayer moisture content (M0) decreased with increasing temperature for all blends, and those with fermented cassava flours had lower M0. The net isosteric heat of desorption decreased as equilibrium moisture content increased, reflecting the progressive saturation of high-energy binding sites. The blends with nixtamalized flour exhibited reduced isosteric heat compared to the sample with untreated flours The differential entropy of desorption increased as the equilibrium moisture content increased and, thus, indicated thermodynamic compensation. The study demonstrates that nixtamalization and fermentation influence the water-binding characteristics of maize and cassava flour blends, with implications for improved drying efficiency and extended shelf-life.
FUNDING
The study received no external funding.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
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