Physical, chemical, tecno-functional, and thermal properties of Leucaena leucocephala seed

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to study the physical, tecno-functional, chemical, and thermal properties of the Leucaena leucocephala seed. The physical properties revealed that the pod had an average weight of 2.14 g, a length of 13.67 cm, and an average of 20 seeds per pod. The seed had an average weight of 0.07 g with a volume of 30.02%. The sphericity was 52.14%, ovoid in shape, and presented with an apparent density and real density of 0.81 and 0.68 g/cm3, respectively, and a porosity of 15.64%. The seed had a green hue, whereas the flour had a light brown hue. The seed presented with a high-fat content of 31.78 g/100 g, protein of 26.56 g/100 g, and fiber of 15.49 g/100 g. The flour showed a water absorption capacity of 4.64 g/g, water solubility capacity of 16.20%, water activity of 0.35, oil absorption capacity of 2.03 g/g, and emulsifying capacity of 48.06%. It also showed foam formation ability (48.06%), gelling capacity (4.00%), swelling power (4.5-5.2%), and a pH of 6.7. The thermal properties showed the presence of three endodermic peaks, indicating the presence of protein-amylose and lipid-amylose interactions, in addition to the gelatinization temperature of the starch present in the flour.