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The effect of boiling and autoclaving on the levels of some antinutritional factors (trypsin inhibitor, phytate, haemaglutinin, hydrogen cyanide, tannins, starchyose and raffinose) in Mucuna utilis were investigated. The result indicated that both boiling and autoclaving significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the antinutritional factors in the test sample. Boiling for 90 minutes reduced the trypsin inhibitor by 79%, phytate by 70%, haemaglutinin, hydrogen cyanide and tannin were equally reduced by the process of boiling for 90 minutes by 48%, 88%, and 29% respectively. Starchyose and raffinose were also significantly reduced (70%, 68%) by boiling at same time. Autoclaving for 45 minutes markedly reduced the antinutritional factors as follows, trypsin inhibitor (100%), haemaglutinin (77%), phytate (91%), tannins (86%), hydrogen cyanide (48%), starchyose (85%) and raffinose (84%).

Keywords: processing, antinutritional factors, Mucuna utilis

Plant Products Research Journal Vol. 8(1) 2004: 1-6