Impacts of drying on physicochemical properties, bioactive compounds, antioxidant capacity, and microstructure of jackfruit seed flour

Jackfruit seeds have the potential to be a source of bioactive phytochemicals; however, they are difficult to store and quickly be spoiled. The physicochemical, antioxidant, and functional characteristics of jackfruit seed flour were examined in this study utilizing different drying methods, including hot air cabinet drying at 50-80 degrees C, freeze drying, and sun drying. Drying methods significantly affected moisture (11.10 similar to 13.62%), protein (14.22 similar to 19.07%), fat (0.28 similar to 0.96%), carbohydrate (77.64 similar to 83.02%), and starch (56.59 similar to 74.14%) contents and preserved significant amounts of different mineral components. Freeze-dried flour indexed fewer browning (16.67) over the cabinet (17.91 similar to 21.84) and sun-dried (23.93) flours. Results from the reducing power (1849.01 similar to 2966.44 mg TE/100 g) and DPPH radical scavenging activity (69.03 similar to 75.60%) indicated that freeze- and cabinet-dried (at 60 degrees C) flours retained a higher amount of bioactive compounds, such as total carotenoids (31.86 similar to 72.20 mg/100 g), ascorbic acid (42.41 similar to 65.05 mg/kg), total phenolics (704.30 similar to 1009.13 mg GAE/100 g), and flavonoids (26.12 similar to 40.58 mg CE/100 g), and exerted a greater antioxidant activity. Furthermore, the jackfruit seed flour displayed satisfactory flow and hydration properties and was evenly distributed with a round- to bell-shaped microstructure, which could be considered a replacement for traditional flour in bakery products and a supplement in fortified food products.