Nitrogen extractability and functional properties of defatted Erythrina variegata flour

Defatted Erythrina variegata flour was prepared from dehusked seed meal by hexane extraction of residual oil. The resulting flour had 403 g kg−1 of protein as compared to 282 g kg−1 in the whole seed-defatted meal. Nitrogen extractability of the defatted flour in water was not much influenced by the length of extraction period above 40 min, but an increased extraction was observed at a higher liquid to solid ratio up to a studied limit of 1:60; the optimal ratio was found to be 1:30. The minimum of 26.9% nitrogen was extracted in the pH range 3.0–4.0 and maximum of 94.8% at pH 12. Addition of sodium chloride (0.1 or 0.5 M) broadened the pH range of minimum nitrogen extractability and shifted it toward a lower pH region. At both concentrations of sodium chloride, a marked increase in nitrogen extractability, in the pH range 3.0–7.0, was observed. Precipitation of protein from an extract of pH 10.0 was maximum (85.3%) at pH 4.75. A higher buffer capacity of the flour was observed in the acidic medium (0.195 mmol HCl g−1 flour) than in alkaline medium (0.093 mmol NaOH g−1). Water absorption and oil absorption values for the whole E. variegata seed flour and the dehusked, defatted flour were 1.81, 1.43 and 1.02, 1.52 kg kg−1, respectively.