Functional properties of wheat-based bread affected by pumpkin flour and jackfruit seed flour incorporation

Pumpkin is a rich source of beta-carotenoid, a valuable pro-vitamin A known for maintenance of eye vision. Meanwhile jackfruit seed is also rich in carbohydrate however it is considered as waste product and normally discarded during jackfruit processing. The purpose of this research work was to utilize the valuable pumpkin flour as well as the cheap carbohydrate source from jackfruit seed flour in partial replacement with wheat flour to develop bread. The different blending formulations with 100% wheat flour, 90:5:5 (wheat:pumpkin:jackfruit seed flour), 80:10:10 (wheat:pumpkin:jackfruit seed flour), 70:15:15 (wheat:pumpkin:jackfruit seed flour) and 60:20:20 (wheat:pumpkin:jackfruit seed flour) were tested and their effect on the functional properties (moisture uptake ability, bulk density, bloating ratio, loaf climax, loaf dimension and hardness) of bread was investigated. Results showed that increasing the pumpkin flour and jackfruit seed flour incorporation in wheat flour increased the hardness but reduced the moisture uptake ability, bulk density, bloating ratio, loaf climax, and loaf dimension of bread. There was no significant difference between the control bread prepared using 100% wheat flour in respect of functional properties. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that 5% pumpkin flour and 5% jackfruit seed flour could be successfully supplemented in 90% wheat flour for bread making, while maintaining the the functional properties close to 100% wheat-based bread. Findings of this research facilitated the incorporation of the underutilized and valuable flour-based sources like pumpkin and jackfruit seed in bread making.