Assessment of the Nutritional Value of Spontaneous Leafy Vegetables of Interest from the Marahoué (Côte D'ivoire) Region and Their Traditional Home Made Sauces

Local plant resources with high nutritional potential including wild leafy vegetables are an essential link in strategies to promote food security for low-income populations. However, little attention is paid to them, even in localities where their consumption is limited to the lean season. Thus, the evaluation of the nutritional contribution of five major spontaneous leafy vegetables (Acalypha ciliata – AC, Celosia trygina – CT, Cleome gynandra – CG, Solanum nigrum – SN, and Sesammum radiatum – SR) from the Marahoué region (Côte d'Ivoire) and their sauces was carried out. Biochemical properties were investigated. The five spontaneous leafy vegetables very rich in water contained carotenoids (251 for CG and 48.71 for SR), total polyphenols (5138.31 for CT and 1483.51 for SR), flavonoids (44.21 for CT and 7.86 for AC), and tannins (874.85 for CT and 356.00 for AC), in mg/100g DM, respectively in high concentrations. Protein, ash, lipid and fiber contents were similar to those of cultivated leafy vegetables. Only, the traditional method allowed a retention rate of 9.10 to 30.11% of micronutrients with antioxidant potential. The residual contents are sufficient to cover the needs of children and women. Spontaneous leafy vegetables are therefore good sources of molecules with antioxidant value to be valued in the context of the prevalence of diseases related to oxidative stress

Fungal Variation during Peanut Paste Storage

Peanut paste produced in multipurpose mills is very often the site of choice for fungal contaminants that pose a major risk to consumers. The objective of this study is to evaluate the level of fungal contamination of peanut paste produced according to different moulding processes during storage. Thirty samples of peanut paste were produced from 60 kg of peanut pods according to three types of moulding (domestic moulding, artisanal moulding, and hygienic moulding) and then preserved for three months. These thirty samples were subjected to microbiological analysis using the conventional mould count method. The moisture content of the various peanut pastes was determined according to the AOAC method. Fungi were identified by using taxonomic schemes based on microscopic observation and culture appearance. Mould loads ranged from 0 to 6.4.102 cfu/g; 91 to 9.6.102 cfu/g; and 0 to 4.6.102 cfu/g, respectively, for domestic, artisanal, and hygienic mouldings during conservation. Moisture content increases during the conservation of peanut paste. It increases from 1.23 to 3.17% for domestic moulding, 1.30 to 3.20% for artisanal moulding, and 1.30 to 2.94% for hygienic moulding. Four fungal genera, namely, Aspergillus, Mucor, Absidia, and Penicillium and three species of Aspergillus including A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. niger have been identified. The peanut paste produced from domestic and hygienic moulding is less contaminated during storage than that obtained in the artisanal way