Chemical and Sensory Quality of Quality Protein maize (Zea mays),

Defatted Fluted Pumpkin seed(Telfairia occidentalis) and African Walnut (Tetracarpidium

conophorum) Based Weaning food

Adedokun, Olufemi Adebayo (Ph.D)

(Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria.)

.INTRODUCTION

By the time this day is over 40,000 children will have died from hunger, malnutrition, and related causes all over the world especially in sub-Saharan African countries (Gulati, 2010; IAEA bulletin, 1994).

Under nutrition is one of the major problems confronting infants and young children in the developing countries. It has been reported that poor nutrition during childhood can have detrimental effects on growth and cognitive development; decrease activity levels, and affect social functioning (UNICEF, 1998; Ijarotimi and Keshinro, 2013).

Thus, in a weaning process there is always the need to introduce soft, easily swallowed foods to supplement the infant’s feeding early in life (Laminu et al., 2011; Okwute and Olafiyi, 2013).

This period is very crucial in the life of infants promoting child nutrition and survival as children are vulnerable to malnutrition during this stage (Akeredolu et al, 2005).

Complementary foods in most developing countries are mainly from cereal with animal protein being used as supplement. As a result of the high cost of animal protein, attempts were shifted to look into alternative sources of proteins, especially from plant sources (Obatolu and Cole, 2000).

•The traditional complementary foods used in Nigeria have been reported to be grossly inadequate when compared with the estimated nutritional needs of an infants (Ikujenlola and Adurotoye, 2014). The most popular complementary food fed to infants in Nigeria is a fermented cereal gruel called ‘pap’, ‘akamu’ or ‘ogi’ which is generally perceived by mothers as easy to be digested (Onofiok and Nnanyelugo, 1998; Ibeanu and Okeke, 2001). •The formulation and development of nutritious complementary foods from locally and readily available raw materials (e.g Maize, Sorghum, etc) has received a lot of attentions in Nigeria (Nnam, 2002; Ikujenlola, 2004).

•Quality protein maize is an improved variety of maize which contains higher amount of lysine and tryptophan with lower amount of Leucine and Isoleucine in the endosperm than those contained in common maize which are necessary for protein synthesis in humans (CIMMYT). (Ojofeitimi, 2008).

•Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) is playing an important role in human nutrition. According to Oyolu (1978), the leaves and edible shoots together contain 85% moisture, and the dry portion of what is usually consumed contains 11% crude protein, 25% carbohydrate, 3% oils, 11% ash and as much as 700mg/kg of iron. This high level of iron seems to provide a basis for the folklore that Telfairia leaf extract is administered as a blood tonic to convalescent persons (Akoroda, 1990).

Tetracarpidium conophorum (family Euphorbiaceae) is found in Nigeria and Cameroon while Coula edulis (family Olacaceae) which is also referred to as African walnut is found in Congo, Gabon and Liberia. This plant is cultivated principally for the nuts which are cooked and consumed as snacks (Oke, 1995).

As investigated by Okafor (1991) and Udeala et al (1984), the fruits yield 47.72% crude protein and 50% fats and oils (Conophor oil) which are of domestic and industrial importance for soap making, vanish and paints.

The combination of quality protein maize, fluted pumpkin seed and conophor nut have not been explored as a complementary food meant for infants. It is believed that this combination should offer a good protein base diet that will satisfy the nutritional requirement of growing infants by maintaining their health and development.

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDYThe objectives of the research are to;

Determine the nutrient compositions of complementary foods formulated from Quality protein maize, Conophor nuts and fluted pumpkin seed;

determine physico chemical properties and safety of the complementary diets; and

assess the acceptability of the formulated diets using sensory evaluation.

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MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials

Quality Protein Maize

Conophor Nuts (Tetracarpidium conophorum)

Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) seeds

Sources of Materials Quality Protein Maize (ART 98/SW1) was obtained from Institute of

Agriculture, Research and Training (IAR&T) Moor Plantation Apata, Ibadan.

Conophor Nuts and Fluted Pumpkin seeds were obtained from a local market in Ibadan, Nigeria.

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Quality Protein Maize

Washing

Steeping (1.5 kg in 3 Litres of water for 3 days)

Decanting

Washing

Wet milling (Ogi slurry)

Sieving (Muslin cloth)

Draining

Drying (50oC for 48 h)

Milling of Ogi cake

packaging

Fermented Quality Protein maize flour (QPM ogi)Fig 1: Flow chart for production of Ogi from Quality Protein Maize

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Conophor nut Raw Seed

Dehulling

Boiling

Draining

Cooling

Drying (50oC) until it is bone dry

Milling (200 µm mesh size)

Packaging (full fat conophor flour)

Defatting(using n-hexane for 8 h)

oven drying

Milling

Sieving

Packaging

Defatted Conophor nut flour

Fig. 2: Flow chart for production of Defatted Conophor seed flour

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10

Fluted Pumpkin Raw Seed

Dehulling

Boiling

Draining

Cooling

Drying (50oC)

Milling (200 µm mesh size)

Packaging (full fat fluted pumpkin flour)

Defatting(using n-hexane for 8 h)

drying

Packaging

Defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour

Fig. 3: Flow chart for production of Defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour

Table 1 Complementary Diets formulation

Quantity (%) QPM Defatted conophor nut flour

Defatted fluted pumpkin flour

Total

A 100 - - 100

B 76 12 12 100

Code: A – Quality protein Maize, B – Quality protein maize, Defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour,

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Proximate composition: The proximate composition of the diet (moisture, Total ash, crude fat, crude protein, crude fibre) was determined using AOAC, 2005 method. The carbohydrate was estimated by difference.

Physico-chemical properties of the dietWater absorption capacity was determined as described by Solsulski (1962), Oil Absorption capacity was determined as described by Solsulski et al ., (1976), Bulk density was determined as described by Rao (1984), and reconstitution index as described by Osundahunsi and Aworh (2003).

Energy Value: Atwater factor was used to estimate the Energy value of the diets according to Oke and Ojofeitimi (1984)

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SENSORY QUALITYSensory Quality was determined by using method described by Larmond, 1994. The samples were rated on the following attributes, that is, colour, aroma, taste, consistency and overall acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale range from “like extremely” (9) to “dislike extremely” (1)

Table 2 Proximate composition of formulated diets and control samples (g/100g dry basis)

A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, *values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

Sample Diet

Moisture Crude protein

Total ash Crude Fat Carbohydrate

Crude Fiber

Energy (Kcal)

A 8.20 a±0.51 9.00b±0.50 0.61b ±0.03 4.22a ±0.20 76.68a±1.20 1.17 b±0.12 380.70 a±0.12

B 8.79a±0.51 18.02a±0.80 0.81a ±0.03

 

3.22b ±0.40

 

69.16b±1.51

 

2.39a ±0.12

 

377.70a±0.12

Table 3 Functional Properties of the formulated diets and control Samples

SAMPLE Water absorption capacity (WAC) (g/g)

Oil absorption capacity (OAC) (g/g)

Bulk density(g/ml) packed

Reconstitution index (ml)

A

B

3.20a ±0.02

2.40b ±0.02

2.10b ±0.02

3.00a ±0.02

0.66a ±0.02

0.56b ±0.01

97.60a±0.01

96.80a±0.01

A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, *values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

Table 4: Microbiological Quality of Complementary DietsSample

I.DTotal Bacterial Counts

(Cfug-1)

Total Coliform counts (Cfug-1)

Total fungi counts (Cfug-1)

Staphylococcus aureus count

(Cfug-1)

Escherichia coli count (Cfug-1)

Salmonella count (Cfug-1)

Shigella count (Cfug-1)

A 1.1 X 105b NG NG 1.0 X 104a NG NG NG

B 1.3 X 105a NG NG 1.0 X 104a NG NG NG

A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, NG- no growth*values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

Table 5 Sensory quality of formulated diets and control samples

Product Colour Aroma Taste Consistency Overall acceptability

A 6.75a 7.00a 5.30b 7.30a 6.70a

B 7.00a 7.00a 6.80a 7.30a 6.70a

A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, NG- no growth*values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

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ConclusionThe formulation used in this study successfully produced a high protein-energy food with acceptable physico-chemical properties. The addition of fluted pumpkin and conophor nuts to quality protein maize showed a remarkable improvement in the protein content (9.00%-18.02%).

This product will be valuable for growing infant during weaning period and is capable of reducing malnutrition among infants in the developing countries.

19Thank

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