Nutritional Efficacy of Maize based Functional Flour Developed for Minimizing the Risk of Lifestyle Diseases in Relation to Normal Wheat Flour

Lifestyle diseases are ailments caused due to unhealthy living pattern. Maize being an affordable and inexpensive cereal crop for unprivileged people and has potential benefits also which can be utilized with other grains to develop functional flour.

The present investigation was conducted during 2020–21 in the Laboratory of Department of Food and Nutrition, Dr. RPCAU. The raw ingredients viz. maize (variety ‘Lakshmi’), flaxseed, chickpea, barley, ragi and wheat were procured from local market Pusa or farmers. After processing with various methods, different proportions of flour were developed. Bulk density, water absorption capacity and proximate composition were determined.

The result showed that bulk density ranged from 0.57 to 0.67 g/ml, whereas water absorption capacity varied from 1.08 to 2.16 g/ml. Proximate composition such as moisture content ranged from 6.53 to 11.55 g/100 g, ash 1.26 to 1.9 g/100 g, protein 5.83 to 11.08 g/100 g, fat 1.60 to 5.33 g/100 g, fibre 11.09 to 18.27 g/100 g, carbohydrate 56.45 to 65.09 g/100 g whereas level of minerals like iron varied from 3.68 to 5.71 mg/100 g, zinc 2.83 to 3.76 mg/100 g and calcium 25.73 to 132.28 mg/100 g.