Evaluation of processed sweet potato-crayfish – soya bean and sweet potato-crayfish-bambara groundnut weaning mixtures

Feeding studies with 21 day albino rats (Wistar strain) fed ad libitum for twenty eight days with Nutrend (a commercial weaning food used as reference diet) and processed sweet potato-crayfish-soyabean/bambara groundnut mixtures were carried out to assess the suitability of the mixtures as substitutes for Nutrend. Result showed feed consumption of rats on Nutrend to be highest (244.92±45.56g) followed by rats on Diet 3; sweet potato + bambara groundnut mixtures (236.5934.70g). The same trend was observed for weight gain. The organ weight measurements showed liver weight range of 1.33 4.80g, kidney 0.41-1.80g, pancreas 0.16-0.49g, and heart 0.17-0.42g. The result also showed that the PER of diets ranged between 0.64 1.90, NPU 86.60 91.40% BV87.92 92.86%, NPR 1.17 1.82, FCR 0.05 0.32 and T.D 98.51 99.49%. The results obtained with diet 3 (sweat potato bambara groundnut mixture) and diet 5 (sweat potato soya bean mixture) compared favourably with the reference diet (Nutrend) in all the parameters examined except for corn starch (diet 7), which recorded lowest values although it contained higher carbohydrate and energy values. Diets 3 and 5 are therefore recommended as substitute diets to the expensive commercial weaning food. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 10(1) 2006: 55-6

Effect of heat processing on the proximate composition and energy values of selected Nigerian staple foods from oil-producing areas of the Niger Delta

Proximate composition and energy values of four raw and heat processed staple foods (yams, cassava, cocoyam andmaize) from oil-producing (Eleme, Ogoni, Okrika, and Nembe) areas of Rivers and Bayelsa States and Abakaliki (a non-oil producing area in Ebonyi State, Nigeria) as control were investigated. In raw yam tubers, moisture was high in all the locations and ranged from 61.96 ± 0.02% in Abakaliki to 63.77±0.25% in Ogoni. Crude protein rangedfrom 1.39±0.13% in Okrika to 1.71±0.06% in Abakaliki while ash was highest (2.57±0.12%) in Okrika followed by 2.33±0.01% in Eleme and was lowest (0.97±0.06%) in Abakaliki. Crude fat was low in all the locations and ranged from 0.10±0.00% in Okrika to 0.17±0.01% in Nembe while total carbohydrate was high in all the locations rangingfrom 33.32±0.42% in Ogoni to 35.21±0.13% in Abakaliki. The calorific value (kcal/100 g sample) in all the locations was low. It was highest (149.08) in yams from Abakaliki followed by Eleme (142.55) and lowest in Ogoni (140.09). Similar trends in values of the constituents were obtained in raw cassava, cocoyam and maize fromdifferent oil-producing and control locations investigated. In each of these locations, heat processing generally increased moisture content of all the samples (yam, cassava products, cocoyam and maize), but decreased dry matter, crude protein, ash, crude fat, total carbohydrate and calorific value. With the exception of moisture and ash,other nutrients were significantly (

Trace Metal Levels in Raw and Heat Processed Nigerian Staple Foods from Oil- Producing Areas of Rivers and Bayelsa States

The levels of some trace metals (Fe, Zn, Cu, Ni, Cd) were quantitatively determined in raw and heat processed staple food cultivars (yam, cassava, cocoyam and maize) from oil producing areas of part of the Niger Delta and compared with a non-oil producing area of Ebonyi State as control. The survey was conducted to evaluate the role of foods as exogenous source of these metals among the inhabitants. The data showed that metal levels in allthe raw staple foods from oil producing areas were significantly higher at (

Phytate-phosphorus and mineral changes during processing of African yam beans (Sphenostylis sternocarpa) and Bambara groundnut (Voandzeia subterranea

No Abstract. Discovery and Innovation Vol. 17(1&2) 2005: 63-6

Protein energy malnutrition: A nutritional assessment and alleviation study of locally formulated weaning diets

No Abstract.Discovery and Innovation Vol. 18 (3) 2006: pp. 226-23

Effect of diets contaminated with crude petroleum products (Bonnylight and Forcados) on enzyme activity of Wistar albino rats

No Abstract. Global Journal of Pure and Applied Sciences Vol. 12 (4) 2006: 501-50

The effect of storage on the nutrient composition of some Nigerian foodstuffs:

Changes in the nutrient composition during storage of plantain, banana, yam and cocoyam using different storage methods have been investigated. It has been shown that there was an increase in moisture content of banana and plantain during storage in open air, (28.2 ± 0.10 to 30.2 ± 0.03% for banana and 31.6 ± 0.18 to 34.1 ± 02% for plantain) after 9 days of storage. These were followed by a slight decrease in the deep refrigerator storage and then an over all increase in the deep freezer storage. .Small changes were observed in crude protein and ether extracts during open air storage of banana and plantain as well as yam and cocoyam. A general trend of lowest nutrient values during deep freezer storage has been observed. It thus seems that storage of banana, plantain is better in a refrigerator than open air probably due to the minimized nutrient loss caused by metabolic activities such as respiration and sprouting. It should however be noted that for these food itemsopen air storage was in fact better than deep-freezer storage provided consumption is hastened since the deep freezer subjected the food stuffs to chilling injury and nutrient loss. Journal of Applied Sciences and Environmental Management Vol. 9(3) 2005: 9-1

Evaluation of Citric Acid Production Potentials of Food Processing Wastes

Objective: To evaluate citric acid production potentials of food processing wastes. Materials and Methods: Samples of domestic wastes generated from peels of Yam (YP), Cassava (CP), red cocoyam (RCP), white cocoyam (WCP), ripe plantain (RP), unripe plantain (UPP) and garri processing chaff (GPC) were washed, oven-dried, pulverized and analysed for their biochemical constituents alongside characterization of their sugar contents. Samples were also reconstituted in mineralized media fortified with glucose at 5.0%(w/v), then autoclaved (121°C/15min), cooled and inoculated at 5.0%(v/v) with Aspergillus niger. The samples were incubated at 30°C for 14 days and evaluated at intervals of 2 days for citric acid yields and residual sugar contents. Results: The total carbohydrate contents of the samples ranged from 67.24-76.42% while the starch contents ranged from 0.84-10.48% and the cellulose contents from 3.14-19.70%. No significant differences (p>.0.05) were observed in the carbohydrate contents of CP, RCP, WCP, RPP, UPP and GPC. Glucose, maltose, and sucrose were the predominant sugars characterize in the samples. Highest citric acid yields were obtained in RPP (108.0mg/l and GPC (103.-mg/l) on the 8th day of fermentation. Lowest residual sugar contents were obtained in GPC on days 6-10 followed by RPP. Conclusion: Maximum acid development in the samples (96.09 – 108.0mg/l) was obtained from 6-8 days of fermentation. The residual sugar contents of the samples vary with the sample types and decreased significantly (p<0.05) with increasing fermentation periods. Keyword: Food processing wastes, citric acid, A. niger, fermentation, residual sugar