Physicochemical, Functional, and Nutraceutical Properties of Eggplant Flours Obtained by Different Drying Methods
Jenny R. Rodriguez-Jimenez,
Carlos A. Amaya-Guerra,
Juan G. Baez-Gonzalez,
Carlos Aguilera-Gonzalez,
Vania Urias-Orona,
Guillermo Nino-Medina
Affiliations
Jenny R. Rodriguez-Jimenez
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Ave. Universidad S/N, Cd. Universitaria, 66450 San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
Carlos A. Amaya-Guerra
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Ave. Universidad S/N, Cd. Universitaria, 66450 San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
Juan G. Baez-Gonzalez
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Ave. Universidad S/N, Cd. Universitaria, 66450 San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
Carlos Aguilera-Gonzalez
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Ave. Universidad S/N, Cd. Universitaria, 66450 San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
Vania Urias-Orona
Laboratorio de Quimica y de Alimentos, Facultad de Salud Publica y Nutricion, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Col. Mitras Centro, C.P. 64460 Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Guillermo Nino-Medina
Laboratorio de Quimica y Bioquimica, Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, Francisco Villa S/N, Col. Ex-Hacienda El Canada, C.P. 66050 General Escobedo, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
The importance of consuming functional foods has led the food industry to look for alternative sources of ingredients of natural origin. Eggplants are a type of vegetable that is valued for its content in phytochemical compounds and it is due to the fact that this research is conducted towards the development of eggplant flour as a proposal to be used as a functional ingredient in the food industry. In this study, the eggplant fruits were divided into four groups, based on the drying method and the equipment used: Minced, drying oven (T1); sliced, drying oven (T2); sliced and frozen, drying tunnel (T3); and sliced, drying tunnel (T4). All the eggplant flours showed the same trend regarding their antioxidant capacity and phenolic content in the order T2 > T4 > T1 > T3. The freezing of eggplant was found to have a negative effect on functional and antioxidant properties. With respect to their nutritional composition, the flours did not change in their crude fiber, protein, and fat contents. In general terms, the T2 flour is a potential ingredient for the preparation of foods with functional properties since it is rich in phenolic compounds and antioxidants.
