Impact of die diameter, feed moisture, and feed composition on amino acids and mineral content of Broad bean-ighu extrudates

The impact of die diameter, feed moisture, and feed composition on the essential amino acids and mineral content of broad bean-Ighu extrudates in a twin-screw extruder was investigated. Blends of broad beans flour and Ighu were used to produce protein-rich extruded products by using a commercial co-rotating twin screw extruder. The amino acids and mineral content of the flour blends and extrudates were determined. Twenty experimental runs were generated from three factors and three levels of three process variables: die diameter, feed moisture, and feed composition using a Box- Behnken response surface methodology. Broad bean and Ighu flour samples contained all the amino acids that are found in plant proteins. The blending of Ighu with broad bean flour increased the amino acid and mineral element content of the raw Ighu. Extrusion cooking reduces the essential amino acid contents of the extrudates. Extrusion cooking conditions- die diameter, feed moisture, and feed composition decreased the composition of the essential amino acids of the extrudates. Extrusion cooking of the Ighu /broad bean blends resulted in a decrease in the mineral content of the extrudates. No trends were observed on the effects of extrusion parameters on the extrudates’ mineral contents