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Effect of processing methods on the nutritional values and anti-nutritive factors of Adenanthera pavonina L. (Fabaceae) seeds


Felix Ifeanyi Nwafor
Sheily Nneka Egonu
Nkechinyere Onyekwere Nweze
Nnedinso Ohabuenyi

Abstract

This research aimed at determining the effect of processing on the nutritional and anti -nutritional values of “food tree” [Adenanthera pavonina L. (Fabaceae)] seeds, a highly nutritional and underutilized legume. The seeds were separated into three groups namely, boiled, roasted and raw. Quantitative analysis was carried out to measure their proximate, minerals, vitamins and anti -nutrients compositions. Analysis of variance was used to analyze the treatment groups and Duncan’s multiple range tests to determine significant difference at P ≤ 0.05. The results show that processing significantly affected the nutritional and anti -nutritional constituents. The values for proximate composition in the raw, roasted and boiled seeds were: proteins (15.79±0.04, 18.86±0.02 and 23.25±0.02, respectively), carbohydrates (56.60±0.02, 54.89±0.02 and 52.05±0.02 respectively), fat (9.78±0.02, 11.70±0.02 and 11.40±0.02, respectively), crude fibre (9.80±0.04, 9.70±0.04 and 5.85±0.02, respectively), moisture (3.88±0.03, 0.10±0.02 and 3.20±0.02, respectively) and ash (4.03±0.01, 4.75±0.02 and 4.25±0.01, respectively). The values for mineral compositions in the raw, roasted and boiled se eds were: calcium (25.61±0.34, 30.34±0.02 and 80.88±0.02, respectively), magnesium (18.97±0.01, 22.76±0.01 and 60.68±0.02, respectively), phosphorus (7.00±0.06, 6.40±0.15 and 5.80±0.10, respectively), potassium (3.31±0.00, 2.43±0.02 and 4.23±0.02, respectively) and iron (0.41±0.02, 0.41±0.01 and 1.23±0.01, respectively). The values for vitamin compositions in the raw, roasted and boiled seeds were: β carotene (1458.33±0.01, 416.67±1.20 and  416.67±0.08, respectively) and vitamin E (22.50±0.02, 9.24±0.02 and 12.69±0.01, respectively). The mean values for anti-nutrient compositions in the raw, roasted and boiled seeds were: tannin (1.21±0.00, 0.049±0.00 and 0.15±0.00, respectively), phytate (5.16±0.02, 3.50±0.01 and 1.50±0.02, respectively), oxalate (0.34±0.00, 0.13±0.00 and 0.11±0.00, respectively), cyanide (1.17±0.00, 0.95±0.00 and 0.32±0.00, respectively) and trypsin inhibitor (0.92±0.01, 0.36±0.01 and 0.90±0.01, respectively). The results show that processing changed the nutritional constituents and reduced the anti-nutrients in the seeds of A. pavonina and boiling proven to be the best processing method.


Key words: Processing, techniques, nutritional, anti-nutritive, Adenanthera  pavonina, seeds.


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