Microscopic Structure of Textured Cottonseed Flour Blends

Native and denatured (steam heated) glandless and deglanded cottonseed flours fortified with Na 2 SO 3 , NaH 2 PO 2 , or rice flour were texturized. The products were embedded in epoxy resin, sectioned, stained and examined with the light microscope. Two morphological characteristics of cottonseed extrudates were found to influence their rheological properties: the uniformity of the protein matrix and the distribution of insoluble carbohydrates within that matrix. In general, the more uniform the protein matrix, the greater the stress; the more evenly dispersed the insoluble carbohydrates, the greater the resilience. Differences in the texture of extrudates based on the additives used to fortify the cottonseed flours could be explained by the light microscopy technique used in this study.