Physico-chemical properties of plantain flour as affected by maturity time and drying methods

Plantain (Musa spp.) is an important dietary source of carbohydrate in the humid tropical zones ofAfrica,Asia and South.Although there are reports on the physical, chemical andmicrobiological properties of plantain flour, little or no information is available on the effects of maturity time and drying method on the physicochemical properties of the flours. Thus, to promote and enhance the use of plantain flour, it is necessary to determine the physicochemical properties of the flour. Green Horn cultivar of fresh plantains was harvested at different periods of maturity from week 9 to 13 at FederalUniversity of TechnologyOwerriUniversity farm. The different batcheswere washed, peeled and cut into slices of 1cm thickness. The slices were dried using a solar dryer and sun drying. The dried samples weremilled into flour and screened through a 100µm sieve. Results showed significant differences all the properties considered, but for the bulk density and oil absorption. Irrespective of thematurity time, Solar drying reduces the oil absorption, bulk density and wettability of Plantain flour. Solar dried plantain at 12th week of maturity gave the highest value of 1.8614, which is significantly different from others. Maturity time and different drying methods could be exploited for the development of multipurpose plantain flour.