Original Article ISSN (Online): 2456-8651 International Journal of Engineering Science Technologies September-October 2022 6(5), 92–102 How to cite this article (APA): Adewolu, H. A., Gbadamosi, S. O., and Iwayemi, E. F. (2022). Proximate, Functional and Physicochemical Properties of Basella Alba Flour and Basella Alba Protein Concentrate. International Journal of Engineering Science Technologies, 6(5), 92–102. doi: 10.29121/IJOEST.v6.i5.2022.407 92 PROXIMATE, FUNCTIONAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF BASELLA ALBA FLOUR AND BASELLA ALBA PROTEIN CONCENTRATE Hikmat Adeola Adewolu 1 , Saka Olasunkanmi Gbadamosi 1 , Esther Foluso Iwayemi 1 1 Department of Food Science and Technology, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria ABSTRACT This study aimed at determining the proximate, functional, and physicochemical properties of Basella alba whole flour (BWF) and Basella alba protein concentrate (BPC) for use as food ingredients with a view to improve their utilization by producing concentrate from its protein content which will serve as a cheap but abundant source of protein. OAU farm provided fresh Basella alba leaves. The stalk was quickly cut off, and the leaves were cleaned under running water to get rid of any mud or dirt that had stuck to them. Following cleaning, the leaves were dried in an oven for 4-5 hours at 60 °C. The powdered leaves were then sieved through sieves with a mesh size of 60 to 80. (Basella alba whole flour). The whole flour was used to prepare the concentrate by combined process of insolubilisation, neutralization and lyophilisation. The resulting flour was subjected to proximate, functional, and physicochemical properties determination. The results of the functional properties revealed that Basella alba protein concentrate (BPC) exhibited higher bulk density, water absorption, Oil absorption capacity and emulsifying properties when compared with BWF. This implies that that BPC will find better application as food ingredient. The proximate composition's findings revealed that the BPC has higher protein content than the BWF. In conclusion, the study revealed that Basella alba protein concentrate can be used as protein fortification and enrichment owing to its favorable protein content. Received 17 September 2022 Accepted 18 October 2022 Published 07 November 2022 Corresponding Author Hikmat Adeola Adewolu, adewoluade@gmail.com DOI 10.29121/IJOEST.v6.i5.2022.407 Funding: This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. With the license CC-BY, authors retain the copyright, allowing anyone to download, reuse, re-print, modify, distribute, and/or copy their contribution. The work must be properly attributed to its author. Keywords: Bulk Density, Basella Alba, Water Absorption Capacity, Oil Absorption Capacity 1. INTRODUCTION Vegetables are any edible plant components that can be consumed whole or in part, raw or cooked, as a side dish or salad ingredient. Vegetables can include leaves, stems, roots, flowers, seeds, fruits, bulbs, tubers, and fungi among other things Uzo 1989, Uwaegbute (1989). Depending on the type of vegetable consumed, vegetables are good providers of oil, carbs, minerals, and vitamins Ihekoronye and Ngoddy (1985). Vegetable fats and oils, according to Onunogbu (2002), lower blood lipid levels, which lowers the risk of developing diseases linked to coronary artery damage. In many Nigerian homes, leafy vegetables are a staple of the diet. They are substantial dietary sources, particularly in rural areas where they greatly contribute