Abstract:
Coconut testa is the major by-product of Virgin coconut oil and DC processing. The dried
brown testa was gone through the cold press extraction process to collect the defatted
residue and it ground into fine flour. This research aimed to evaluate the best testa flour
formulation for two Sri Lankan traditional food items, roti and pittu and to determine
their nutritional properties. Food items were made incorporating 10%, 20%, and 30% of
testa flour (TF), and their sensory properties were evaluated using 25 untrained panelists
through a five-point hedonic scale. Proximate qualities of selected roti samples,
functional properties of selected flour blend were compared with control treatment (100%
wheat flour). The moisture content (4.04 ± 0.12 %) and free fatty acid content
(1.33±0.018) of testa flour were the initial quality TF. All sensory attributes (taste,
texture, appearance, smell, overall acceptance) were affected significantly (p<0.05) for
testa flour incorporation into the wheat flour-based roti. There was no significant
difference (P>0.05) between 10% and 20% TF incorporation for all sensory attributes.
Testa flour incorporation (10% and 20%) were affected significantly (p<0.05) for the taste
and texture of pittu. The testa flour can be successfully incorporated into refined wheat
flour to make roti and pittu up to a level of 20% to enhance nutritional qualities with
acceptable sensory attributes. Proximate composition of selected (20%) testa flour
incorporated roti and control roti (wheat flour 100%) not showed significant difference
(p>0.05) in moisture (Oven dry method), fat (Soxhlet), carbohydrate and ash content
between testa flour roti and wheat flour roti. Incorporation of 20% of testa flour affected
significantly (p<0.05) for the fiber (Weende) and protein content (kjeldhl), of two
treatments. The 20% TF incorporation has increased the fiber level of roti 1.81±% to
7.04±% with the quality of proteins from 12.43±% to 16.06±% compared to the control.
Keywords: Testa flour, Wheat flour, Sri Lankan traditional foods, Dietary fiber, Gluten
