Evaluation of Functional Characteristics of Jackfruit Seed Flour and Its Application in Developing a Nutrient-Dense Snack

Abstract

Deep-fried snacks contain high calories and fat. Jackfruit seeds are nutrient-dense and contain a high level of carbohydrates and proteins with relatively low-fat content. This study was conducted to evaluate the functional properties of jackfruit seed flour and develop a snack. Jackfruit seeds were processed using three different methods: roasting, oven drying, and boiling. Flour produced from the boiling method contained the highest moisture content (7.04%), water-holding capacity (2.08 g/g), bulk density (0.81 g/cm3 ), oil-holding capacity (2.04 cm3 /g) , swelling power (6.91%), and the lowest solubility (7.69%). Flour made from the roasting method showed the lowest oil-holding capacity (1.84 cm3 /g). The snack was prepared using the extrusion technique, and the flour mixture contained jackfruit seed flour, rice flour, and wheat flour in a 4:1:1 ratio. The frying time for the snacks prepared using roasted, boiled, and oven-dried jackfruit seed flour was 15,17, and 10 seconds, respectively. Boiled jackfruit seed flour-based snacks obtained the highest consumer preference. Proximate analysis showed that the boiled jackfruit seed flour-based snack contained 83.61% carbohydrate, 4.74% moisture, 6.46% fat, 2.90% ash, 1.70% fibre, and 0.59% protein. The result of this study demonstrated that jackfruit seed flour can be effectively utilized to produce a low-fat snack with a favourable nutritional profile.