Effect of processing methods on the nutrients and antinutrients contents of <i>Cadaba farinosa Forssk</i> seeds

Abstract

Famine food is any inexpensive or readily available food used to nourish people in times of starvation. Cadaba farinose Forssk is a wild shrub that its seeds are eaten in north eastern Nigeria, especially when there is poor harvest of cereal crops. In this research, the seeds were processed by cooking, cooking with potash, fermentation and sprouting. The products were then subjected to proximate analysis using AOAC methods. Vitamins were determined by UV - Visible spectrophotometry, while minerals were determined by AAS. Various standard methods were used to determine the antinutrients contents. The results of the proximate analysis showed that addition of potash decreased the protein content from 26.72% in the raw seed to 14.65%. Also, vitamin A decreased from 7.21mg/100g in the raw seed to 1.67mg/100g. The fermented sample showed higher level of thiamin (32.96mg/100g), niacin (3.51mg/100g) and pyridoxine (36.62mg/100g). Addition of potash during cooking raised the level of phosphorus, sodium and iron. It was revealed that the seeds contain low level of alkaloids, saponins and oxalate. Sprouting of the seeds eliminates tannin and cyanide completely. Hence, different methods of processing improved the quality of the products in terms of nutrients availability and in reduction of antinutrients content.

Keywords: Cadaba farinosa, processing, nutrients, antinutrients