Search

Hydration of kenaf seed was studied at 25, 35 45, 55 and 65 °C by the method of weight gain until equilibrium was achieved along with the physicochemical properties of the seed. The results showed that the kenaf seed had a small dimension and brownish surface color. Water absorbed during soaking was a function of soaking time and temperature. Soaking at higher temperatures increased the hydration rate constant and decreased the soaking time needed to reach equilibrium. Sigmoidal, Peleg and Page models effectively described the hydration characteristics of the seed under the soaking temperatures. The half-saturation time; τ, Peleg' s rate constant; K1 and Page rate constant K3 decreased from 199.78-32.97 min, 2.55-0.47 min/% and 3.14-2.74 min/%, respectively, while the sigmoidal rate constant; K increased from 0.85-6.83 min-1 with an increase in soaking temperature from 25-65 °C. The rate of water absorption of the seed at a higher temperature was faster. The temperature dependence of K was explained by the Arrhenius equation, from which activation energy of 71.31 KJ/mol was obtained.

The excellent health benefits of oil extracted from seeds have increased its application in foods, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This trend leads to a growing research area on their by-products, oilseed meals, to minimize environmental and economic issues. Examples of these by-products are soybean, peanut, kenaf seed, hemp, sesame, and chia seed meals. It is well known that soybean meals have wide applications in food and non-food industries, while other seed meals are not well established. Most oilseed meals are rich in health beneficial compounds and are potential sources of plant protein, dietary fiber, and antioxidants. Many studies have reported on the valorization of these by-products into value-added food products such as bakery and meat products to increase their nutritional and functional properties. These efforts contribute to the sustainability, development of novel functional food and support the zero-waste concept for the environment. This review aims to provide information on the composition of selected oilseed meals from soybean, peanut, hemp, kenaf, sesame and chia seeds, their potential applications in the bakery, meat, beverage, pasta, and other food products, and to highlight the issues and challenges associated with the utilization of oilseed meals into various food products.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) seed is rich in protein, fat, fiber, and other essential nutrients. Kenaf seed comprises of high protein (22–31%) and oil (22–25%) contents which suggested its high potential food application. This chapter discusses the potential and early development of kenaf-based plant-milk and tofu. The step-by-step processes involved in preparation of kenaf-based milk and kenaf-based tofu at laboratory-scale are illustrated. Soaking conditions (temperature and time) of kenaf seed as pretreatment in preparation of kenaf seed milk were highlighted. Hydration of kenaf seed were found to be faster at elevated temperature, however higher soaking temperature and prolonged soaking time causes some losses of protein (%) and solid content (%) which are unfavorable for production of highly nutritious plant-based milk. Furthermore, in preparation of kenaf-based tofu, soaking temperature of seed also affected the properties of the tofu. As the soaking temperature was increased from 25–65°C, the yield, hardness, and chewiness of kenaf tofu decreased. It was recommended that soaking of kenaf seed at 25°C and the use of aluminum potassium salt at 1.00 g% as coagulant produces kenaf-based tofu with optimum quality.

Kenaf belongs to the family Malvaceae noted for their economic and horticultural importance. Kenaf seed is a valuable component of kenaf plant. For several years, it has been primarily used as a cordage crop and secondarily as a livestock feed. The potential for using kenaf seeds as a source of food-based products has not been fully exploited. Consumers are becoming more interested in naturally healthy plant-based food products. Kenaf seed, the future crop with a rich source of essential nutrients and an excellent source of phytocompounds, might serve suitable roles in the production of value-added plant-based foods. At present kenaf seed and its value-added components have not been effectively utilized for both their nutritional and functional properties as either ingredient or major constituent of food products. This review focuses on the possible food applications of kenaf seed and its value-added components based on their nutritional composition and functional properties available in literature, with the purpose of providing an overview on the possible food applications of this underutilized seed. The review focuses on a brief introduction on kenaf plant, nutritional function, lipids and proteins composition and food applications of the seed. The review elaborately discusses the seed in terms of; bioactive components, antioxidants enrichment of wheat bread, antimicrobial agents, as edible flour, as edible oil and a source of protein in food system. The review closes with discussion on other possible food applications of kenaf seed. The need for food scientists and technologists to exploit this natural agricultural product as a value-added food ingredient is of great significance and is emphasized.

Kenaf seed meal protein concentrate (KSPC) and lyophilized kenaf seed milky extract protein concentrate (KSMEPC) were obtained via alkaline extraction. The proximate compositions, amino acids and functional properties of both concentrates were compared. KSPC was found to be significantly higher in protein, essential and non-essential amino acids but, lower in lipid and carbohydrate contents than KSMEPC. The solubility, water absorption capacity and denaturation temperature of KSPC and KSMEPC were similar. However, KSMEPC had significantly higher oil absorption capacity, foam capacity and stability, and a significantly lower emulsion property than KSPC. The heat coagulability and coagulation capacity of the protein concentrates were not significantly different. But, the heat coagulability was significantly increased as the concentration of the protein concentrates increased from 4 to 20%. This study showed that kenaf seed may be considered as a potential ingredient in food products like tofu, meat extender, butter and mayonnaise.