Abstract:
Kithul (Caryota urens) flour is a good ingredient for food applications having considerable gelling property. The objectives of this study were to analyze the proximate composition of Kithul flour and study differences among flour samples from five main Kithul growing areas in Sri Lanka. Kithul flour (Caryota urens) samples were collected from both household and commercial markets representing five main Kithul growing districts in Sri Lanka namely
Rathnapura , Kegalle, Kandy, Matale and Kurunegala district . According to the results of proximate analysis, there were significant differences (p<0.05) among flour samples obtained from the selected districts in Sri Lanka with
respect to moisture content, ash ,total fat, protein and crude fiber. As per the results moisture content ranged from 8.58% to 11.41% while protein content ranged from 0.92 to 1.09 g/100g (dry basis) .Mean value of the total fat content was 0.36± 0.09g/100g (dry basis) and Crude fiber content and ash content were ranged from 0.85 to
1.34 g/100g (dry basis) and 0.24% to 1.12%, respectively However, no significant differences (P>0.05) were presented among samples for analyzed three minerals (Na, Fe, and Zn). Calcium content of the Kithul flour was significantly lower (p<0.05) in samples from Kandy (38.95 ± 12.07 mg/100g) compared to those from all other districts, while Potassium content was lower (p<0.05) in flour from Kandy (28.22± 3.57 mg/100g) compared to samples from other four districts. Analyzed results revealed that there were significant differences among Kithul flour samples obtained from five main growing districts with respect to chemical composition except Sodium,
Iron and Zinc content, which could be a considerable point for using composite Kithul flour from different growing areas for future food applications.
