Effect of Traditional Fermentation Process on the Nutrient and Anti-nutrient Content of Maize and African Locust Beans

Abstract, Journal of Food Science and Nutrition Research, 2019

The nutrient content of cereals and legumes are not readily bioavailable due to the presence of anti-nutrients in them. This study examined the effect of traditional fermentation process on the proximate nutritional composition (moisture, ash, protein, fat and fibre content) and anti-nutrient (tannic acid) content of maize and African locust beans (ALB). The samples were processed by soaking, milling (maize), boiling and de-hulling (ALB) and were fermented for 0 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h. Samples were taken on each period for the various analysis. Traditional fermentation increased protein and fat content of maize by 35.76% and 25.91% and that of ALB by 14.18% and 8.84% respectively. Ash, fibre and tannic acid content decreased by 24.12%, 10.2% and 18.29% for maize and 15.86%, 37.14% and 70.458% for ALB respectively. It was observed in this study that 72 h of fermentation had significant effects on almost all proximate nutritional compositions and anti-nutrient analyzed with the exception of moisture content of both samples and ash content of ALB while 48 h of fermentation had significant effects only on protein content of maize and tannic acid content of both samples (P<0.05). There was no significant effect observed for 24 h of fermentation (P<0.05).

Keywords

Traditional fermentation, Proximate nutritional composition, African locust beans, Anti-nutrients