Effect of Baobab (Adansonia digitata L.) Fruit Pulp Drink on Iron Status of School Children

Objective: To determine the effect of consuming baobab fruit pulp drink with the diet on iron status of school children. Materials and Methods: Baobab fruit pulp was scrapped from the seeds and mixed with water in the ratio of 1:2 (w/v) to produce a refreshing drink. One hundred and forty two school children 6-8 yrs involved in the school meal programme in Enugu State, Nigeria were used for the study. The subjects were dewormed and divided into two equal groups of 71 children each. One group served as the control and the other as the test group. The haemoglobin (Hb) levels of the groups were comparable. The test group was fed 250ml of baobab fruit pulp drink (BFPD) which provided 60mg ascorbate after a meal based on cereal/legume/vegetable for 6 weeks. The control group was fed only the meal for the same period. The Hb and the serum ferritin of both groups were estimated before and after the intervention period. Result: There were significant (p<0.05) increases in the mean Hb (10.85 to 12.92g/dl) and mean serum ferritin (11.25 to 19.52μgl-1) concentrations of the subjects in the test group at the end of the study. No significant (p<0.05) changes occurred in the mean Hb (10.86 vs 11.01g/dl) and mean serum ferritin (11.56 vs 11.60 μgl-1) concentrations of the subjects in the control group after the intervention. Conclusion: Baobab fruit pulp significantly (p<0.05) improved the Hb and serum ferritin concentrations of the children. The fruit pulp is locally available particularly in the northern part of Nigeria and could be incorporated into many traditional dishes to diversify diet and improve bioavailability of iron.Key words: Baobab fruit pulp, drink, haemoglobin, serum ferritin, school children

Effect of bambara groundnut supplementation on the physicochemical properties of rice flour and crackers

This study evaluated the effect of bambara groundnut supplementation on the physicochemical properties of local rice flour and baked crackers. Bulk and true density, porosity, water absorption index, oil absorption capacity, pasting properties by RVA, morphological appearance by SEM, color by calorimetry, and textural properties by TA.XT2 analysis of wheat and two formulations of rice-legume flours and crackers were studied. Moisture (10.94%) and carbohydrate (77.42%) levels were significantly greater in wheat flour than the rice-legume flours, while the reverse was true for fat and ash. Also rice-legume flours had significantly greater water and oil absorption capacity and lower water solubility compared to wheat flour. Compared to wheat crackers, rice-legume crackers had greater fat and ash, 20.51 and 3.57%, respectively, while moisture was significantly lower in the rice-legume crackers by 41 to 58%. Rice legume crackers were significantly harder and had significantly increased spread ratio. The results obtained from the development of locally grown rice and underutilized legume bambara groundnut showed great promise in physicochemical and functional properties and may be a good replacement for wheat flour to serve as a gluten-free product