# Partial Substitution of Wheat Flour with Palm Flour in Pasta Preparation
## 3 Results and Discussions
### Physical-Chemical Quality  
Table 4 shows the values obtained for the physical-chemical profile of pasta with partial substitution of wheat flour for palm flour. The moisture contents presented changed significantly (\(p<0.05\)). The addition of palm flour to the formulation increased moisture values, in line with the increase in palm flour concentration, except for the formulation with 5% palm flour, which showed atypical behavior and may have occurred due to a possible variation in the thickness of the pasta. According to the international standard (Codex Alimentarius [28]), which includes guidelines for the production of fresh pasta, it should not exceed the maximum limit of 35%. In the present study, a higher humidity than the standard was noted, especially for pasta produced with higher concentrations of palm flour. Due to the presence of hydrocolloids in palm flour, these components may explain the greater water retention in the product. This problem can be solved by optimizing the lamination process, where the production of thinner threads can facilitate the drying of the pasta. The total moisture content affects the water activity, water retention, and other components present in the pasta, in addition to influencing the appearance, internal structure, and \begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l l} \hline \hline
**Variables** & **F0** & **F5** & **F10** & **F15** \\ \hline Moisture (\%) & 38.4 \(\pm\) 1.1 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 35.4 \(\pm\) 0.3 \({}^{\text{d}}\) & 40.1 \(\pm\) 0.3 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 42.9 \(\pm\) 0.5 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ Ash (\%) & 1.05 \(\pm\) 0.05 \({}^{\text{d}}\) & 1.67 \(\pm\) 0.08 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 2.28 \(\pm\) 0.04 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 3.05 \(\pm\) 0.02 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ Total acidity (\%) & 1.96 \(\pm\) 0.02 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 3.14 \(\pm\) 0.04 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 3.71 \(\pm\) 0.01 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 6.41 \(\pm\) 0.03 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ pH & 5.97 \(\pm\) 0.02 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 5.43 \(\pm\) 0.03 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 5.23 \(\pm\) 0.01 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 5.01 \(\pm\) 0.03 \({}^{\text{d}}\) \\ Starch (g/100 g) & 41.0 \(\pm\) 2.4 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 32.6 \(\pm\) 1.7 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 25.6 \(\pm\) 0.8 \({}^{\text{c}}\) & 22.6 \(\pm\) 1.5 \({}^{\text{c}}\) \\ Proteins (g/100 g) & 12.28 \(\pm\) 0.10 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 11.95 \(\pm\) 0.10 \({}^{\text{b}}\) & 12.90 \(\pm\) 0.12 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 14.00 \(\pm\) 0.06 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ Lipids (g/100 g) & 5.22 \(\pm\) 0.24 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 5.68 \(\pm\) 0.01 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 5.83 \(\pm\) 0.15 \({}^{\text{a}}\) & 5.34 \(\pm\) 0.49 \({}^{\text{a}}\) \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 4: Physical-chemical profile of pasta with partial substitution of wheat flour by palm flour. texture [29]. The use of flour from vegetable sources did not change the moisture content in the added pasta of such products, as demonstrated in studies by [PERSON] et al. [29] and [PERSON] et al. [15], testing formulations of corn flour and flaxseed, respectively, not agreeing with the data found in the present work. However, [PERSON] [26] attested that the addition of tamarind seed flour increases the moisture of the pasta, which is consistent with the data of this work. The behavior of the pasta studied may have been influenced by the hygroscopic characteristic of palm flour because due to the amount of sugar, a small amount of moisture may be reabsorbed [27]. The ash content of pasta underwent a significant increase (\(p<0.05\)) with the addition of the flour. Previous studies have shown that dry palm has high levels of iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, and magnesium [27; 30]. This increase in ash content was also verified by [PERSON] and [PERSON] [26] in the study with the addition of tamarind seed flour. However, the range of values described here is greater than those indicated by the authors. This is due to the high mineral content of palm flour, as previously demonstrated. This increase in mineral content can be a viable alternative for dietary changes, in which it is necessary to add some of the constituents found in flour, to this pasta.