A Study on Nonchemical Processing Methods for Cyanogenic Glycoside Reduction in Flaxseeds and its Impact on Safety and Nutritional Quality

Abstract

Flaxseed is one of the richest vegetarian sources of α- linolenic acid (omega 3 fatty acid) and soluble mucilage, making it a nutritionally valuable functional food. However, Flaxseed contains high amounts of cyanogenic glycoside, an anti-nutritional factor. Considering the importance of flax seeds, the present study was undertaken with the objective of standardising the process for the reduction of cyanogenic glycosides in flaxseeds without using chemicals and to study the nutrient quality of the processed flaxseeds. Flaxseeds (50 g) were subjected to three different processing treatments: steaming (T1), roasting (T2), and steaming followed by roasting (T3). Removal of mucilage was done by two different methods, such as by using a chemical (Sodium bicarbonate 0.5 M) and without the use of a chemical, followed by continuous stirring in hot and cold water. The nutritional quality of processed flaxseeds was assessed by estimating major proximate components, including moisture, protein, fat, and crude fibre. Results showed that cyanogenic glycoside was found to have reduced significantly among all the treatments, with the highest percent reduction in T3 (68.3%) followed by T2 (41.6%). Among the three treatments, steaming followed by roasting proved to be the most effective. The study concludes that mucilage from flaxseeds can be naturally separated with water and without any chemical treatment and the synergistic effect of steaming and roasting the anti-nutrient cyanogenic glycoside can be effectively reduced upto 69% without any extra expenditure. This method is a low-cost, eco-friendly approach and can be scaled up at an industrial level.