Micronutrient and Antinutrient Content of some Nigerian Edible flours: promoting healthy dietary alternatives

Abstract

Nigerians eat predominantly high-starch meals however, due to the association between these and non-communicable diseases, dietary alternatives have been proposed. Research has linked the consumption of whole grain cereal products with reduced incidence of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Although cereal products are rich in minerals and vitamins, their bioavailability may be limited by their antinutrient content. This study aimed at determining the micronutrient and antinutrient content of some flours made from some cereals - finger millet (Eleusine coracana), black fonio (Digitaria iburua), and rye (Secale cereale) and also cassava (Manihot esculenta) cereal samples were purchased from local markets, sorted, washed, dried and prepared for analyses; the cassava flour was purchased as a finished product. The determination of macro and micro minerals, vitamins and anti-nutrients, was carried out after sample digestion with the use of Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry. Laboratory results were analysed using Microsoft Excel and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The results show that rye flour had significantly (p<0.05) higher content of all the 8 minerals analysed, except calcium. The flours had considerable amounts of all the vitamins analysed, with finger millet having significantly (p<0.05) higher content of vitamin A (3.84mg/100g), vitamin E (1.91±0.01mg/100g), vitamin K (4.17±0.01mg/100g) and the B vitamins. Rye flour also had a significantly higher content of antinutrients – oxalate, phytate, lecithin, tannin and phenols though the values were all within safe limits. All the flours studied have significant content of essential micronutrients which are even more than in the popularly consumed starchy cassava flour. Hence, the use of these cereal alternatives in making swallows should be encouraged.