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Graded levels of full-fat undecorticated Moringa oleifera seed meal (MOSM) were evaluated in diets of 96-day old broilers at 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5% while a maize-soybean diet was used as a reference diet. Nutrients utilization by the broilers and effects of the virgin dietary MOSM on serum chemistry, haematology and some bio-data- protein efficiency ratio (PER) and nitrogen metabolism (NM) were used as response criteria for the evaluation. The metabolic utilization of nutrients, most of the serum chemistry and haematological parameters decreased in response to increasing dietary levels of MOSM except values on products of metabolism like creatinine, uric acid, bilirubin and conjugated bilirubin that tended to elevate with increasing levels of dietary unprocessed MOSM. Since no mortality was recorded in this experiment even at 7.5% MOSM inclusion, further research is on-going to determine the lethal level to poultry including other monogastric animals. Keywords: MOSM, broilers, nutrient utilization, serum and haematological indices

The potential of cashew apple fiber in enriching wheat flour for production of acceptable cake was attempted. Wheat and cashew apple fiber composite flours were produced by substituting wheat flour with 5–30% cashew apple fiber while 100% wheat flour was used as control. Physicochemical properties of the composite flours and sensory acceptability of the cakes produced were examined. Titratable acidity (140–500 mg/kg) and soluble tannins (0.46–1.76%) increased while pH (3.59–5.62) decreased with increase in cashew apple fiber composition. The oil absorption capacity (71.45–67.26%) decreased (p NaCl (aw − 0.76) > Mg(NO3)·6H2O (aw − 0.50). Significant decrease in lightness (L*) and increase in redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) of the composite flours with increased inclusion of cashew apple fiber were observed. Sensory acceptability of cakes produced from wheat flour substituted with 5–10% cashew apple fiber compared favorably with wheat flour cake.

The use of smoking kiln for drying catfish is on the increase in Nigeria due to its effectiveness in reducing moisture and contamination with toxic compounds during smoking. Chemical properties of kiln-smoked catfish in selected locations in Ilorin metropolis were determined in this study. Kiln-smoked catfish were obtained from four major locations (Oyun, Asa-Dam, Tanke and Agbo-Oba) in Ilorin, Nigeria. The samples were subjected to chemical and polycyclic hydrocarbon content analyses. Dried catfish from all the locations had low moisture and crude fibre contents. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) in the crude fibre contents of the kiln-smoked catfish. Protein contents ranging from 53.72-56.49% were obtained for the kilnsmoked catfish samples. Fat contents ranged from 9.92-11.77% while the carbohydrate contents ranged from 19.02-23.59%. Potassium was the most abundant mineral in the samples with no traces of lead and cadmium. Agbo-Oba samples contained the highest pyrene (2983.215 ng/ml) and total polycyclic hydrocarbon (PAHs) (3349.090 ng/ml). Data on steroid fractions indicated that 17b-estradiol was significantly greater in quantity than those recorded from other steroid fractions. Microbial analyses of the samples revealed the presence of the following pathogenic organisms: Klebsiella spp, Salmonella spp, Shigella spp, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio spp, Aspergillus niger, penicilium spp, Trichoderma spp which are harmful to man. The use of smoking kiln method improved the nutrients and reduced PAHs in catfish. Keywords: Smoking kiln, Catfish, Chemical properties, Polycyclic hydrocarbon, Mineral elements

Gari is a fermented cassava products widely consumed in many parts of Africa including Nigeria. Cassava has a low shelf-life due to physiological and microbiological changes that occur after harvest. In this study, the physicochemical properties of gari produced from frozen cassava roots were investigated. Cassava roots were stored for a period of 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. With the exception of gari yield (31.3–34.5%), freezing generally influenced the physiochemical properties of gari obtained from the cassava roots. Functional properties, including bulk densities and swelling power, decreased as the days of freezing increased. With the exception of pasting temperature (approx. 64 °C) and time to peak (approx. 7 min), other pasting properties were significantly affected by freezing. Cassava roots may be frozen for 28 days without significant changes in the sensory properties. Freezing may serve as a promising alternative for extending the shelf life of cassava root and the resulting roots may be used in the production of gari with satisfactory functionality and sensory attributes.

Bambara groundnut is one of the most important African legumes. Its utilisation is however limited by several factors, including contamination by microbes and their metabolites. This chapter reviewed the potential microbial contamination of Bambara groundnut seeds and mitigatory measures that have been employed to enhance their safety for industrial use. Several fungal genera such as Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Penicillium and Fusarium have been isolated from the seed and products. Similarly, the incidence of some Bacillus species with probiotic potentials, as well as some spoilage bacteria have been reported in the nuts. The detection of mycotoxins, including aflatoxins in the Bambara groundnut further underscores the need for decontamination strategies to promote wider utilization of this legume. The application of several physical and chemical decontamination strategies has been reported to have varied effects on the fungal and mycotoxin contamination in the legume. Fermentation as a processing method reportedly achieved significant reduction in anti-nutrients and mycotoxins in the seed and products. Good agricultural practices during planting, harvesting and at post-harvest stages portend effective decontamination measures, as well as the use of mold-resistant varieties of the seed and atoxigenic strains in competitive inhibition. This review recommended the establishment of legislation and surveillance systems that could regularly monitor mycotoxin contamination in Bambara groundnut to enhance safe consumption of the seed and its food products.

Bitter yam (Dioscorea dumetorum) is an underutilized tuber crop that is rich in starch and may be potentially used as a starch source by the industry. In this study, the composition and physicochemical properties of flour and starch from white and yellow bitter yams were studied. Bitter yam showed significant variations in their proximate composition, but mineral contents were very similar. The amylose content (approx. 15%) of white bitter yam starch was slightly lower than the yellow variety (approx. 17%). Bitter yam starch granules were very small (average 5 μm) and polygonal in shape. Starch extracts displayed the A-type crystallinity pattern with varying relative crystallinity: 22.1–28.0%. The peak gelatinisation temperature (approx. 83 °C) and pasting temperature (approx. 87 °C) were fairly high and similar for both starches. Starch peak viscosity of the white bitter yam was significantly higher than the yellow variety, which could be associated with its slightly lower amylose content. Bitter yam starch may find application in the industry where fairly high temperatures (>80 °C) are frequently encountered.

The mirage of bioactive compounds in essential oil (EO) has raised its prospects as an alternative to synthetic chemicals preservatives. The yields of the hydro-distilled EO from the leaf and stem-bark of Adansonia digitata were: 0.302% and 0.403%; while identified compounds were: 23 and 40 respectively. The principal chemical constituents of the EO were: hydrocarbons, alkene alcohol, cyclic ketonic ether, terpenoids, amides, esters. Tetramethyl-2-hexadecen-1-ol (26.31%), 8-dimethyl-2-(1-methylethenyl) (8.20%), Tetracosan (6.54%), Heptacosane (5.81%) and Tetratetracontane (5.59%) were dominant compounds in the leaves EO. While, the major compounds of the stem-bark EO were: Octadecane (9.30%), Cyclopentane (8.81%), 1-Octadecanesulphonyl chloride (8.73%), Heptadecane (8.50%), Eicosane (8.34%), and Tetracosan (7.12%). The antimicrobial activity of the EO against post-harvest decay of tomato fruits stored at room temperature (27±2 °C) indicated significant (P

Spoilage of cassava root begins immediately after harvest, but its shelf-life could be enhanced by adopting freezing as a storage method. This study investigated the physicochemical properties and morphology of starch isolated from cassava roots frozen for 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. Extracted starches can be categorized as compound starches with most granules irregularly shaped, with some oval, round and truncated. The amylose contents (22.05–26.41%) decreased with an increase in the freezing time, but the starches showed similar crystallinity pattern (Type A). Fourier infrared transform spectroscopy showed a reduction in double-helical order structure of starches from frozen cassava roots. Starches from the stored roots were generally less firm, less sticky, more cohesive and had higher peak and trough viscosities compared to starch from freshly harvested roots. Starch from frozen cassava starch may be suited for use in certain types of noodles, such as Japanese noodles due to low amylose content. Future studies are however, required to explore the starches in food applications.

Study was conducted to develop non-alcoholic wine using pineapple (Ananas comosus) and carrot (Daucus carota) blend. Red grape wine was used as the control.Pineapple and carrot blends were mixed in varied in proportions. Physicochemical and sensory analyses were done on all the wine samples during primary fermentation and after aging for thirty days. Results of physicochemical analyses revealed that pH ranged from 3.80 to 3.20 while temperature was between 28 oC and 27 oC, total dissolved solids ranged between 0.13 to 0.15 % and sugar content (oBrix) varied significantly from 11.00 to 13.35. The specific gravity was between 1.04 and 1.07 while titratable acidity ranged from of 0.28 to 0.76 % and that of alcohol content was from 0.05-1.10 %. Vitamin C content varied significantly from 257.00 to 44.00 μg/ml. Samples were subjected to sensory evaluation and there was a significant difference in colour, clarity, sweetness, aroma, astringency and overall acceptability. From the quality assessment sample with 40% carrot and 60% pineapple juice was the most preferred sample by the panelist. Thus, non-alcoholic wine can be successfully produced from pineapple and carrot.

Kunun-aya is a traditional fermented non-alcoholic tiger-nut beverage widely consumed in the Northern parts of Nigeria especially during dry season. Kunun-aya was prepared from tiger-nut, coconut, date and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, coriander, ginger, rosemary and black pepper were added separately. The samples were stored at 4°C for 5 days and the effects of added spices on physicochemical, microbial and sensory properties of the samples were evaluated. The results of the pH (4.25–5.95) and titratable acidity (2.95–12.17) showed that all the samples were acidic throughout the storage period. Brix values ranged from 0.05–2.85% during the storage period. The moisture, protein, ash, fat, fibre and carbohydrate contents of kunun-aya ranged from 85.35–95.22%, 1.53–4.06%, 0.14–0.64%, 0.31–0.85%, 0.23–1.84% and 0.69–10.85%, respectively prior to storage and ranged from 79.50–98.24%, 0.27–2.56%, 0.04–2.25%, 0.24–0.42%, 0.09–3.74% and 1.05–17.34%, respectively after storage. The bacterial count of kunun-aya ranged from (1.1–5.4, 2.0–6.9, 3.6–9.8)×104 CFU/ml and fungal count from (1.0–6.4, 1.3–7.4, 5.2–9.5)×104 CFU/ml on days 1, 3 and 5, respectively. The phytochemical screening of the spices revealed that ginger contained alkaloid, glycoside, saponin, steroid, flavonoid and terpenoid but not tannin while other spices contained one or two of these phytochemicals. There was significant difference between the sensory attributes of the treated kunun-aya and the control samples with the control sample having the highest score ratings. Addition of spices had varying effects on the quality attributes of kunun-aya and could extend its shelf life for 5 days under refrigerated conditions.

Aerial yam is a member of the Dioscoreaceae family which consist several varieties found in South Asia and Africa. The tubers are under-utilized and not commercially grown; but are cultivated and consumed among rural dwellers in parts of Western Nigeria. The tubers were washed, sorted, peeled, sliced and blanched in hot water at 80ºC for 10min. The blanched yam slices were divided into four portions. Two portions were fermented for 48hr and sun (BFSUD) and solar (BFSOD) dried. The other two blanched portions were also sun (BSUD) and solar (BSOD) dried respectively. The dried slices were milled, sieved and used for proximate, functional and phytochemical analysis. Proximate composition of aerial yam flour was: moisture content (7.66-10.60%), total ash (0.05-1.76%), crude protein (4.42-5.07%), crude fibre (0.56-0.69%), crude fat (3.42-3.82%), and carbohydrate (79.28-82.37%). The phytochemical constituent included alkaloid, steroids, saponin and flavonoid. The bulk density, water absorption capacity and dispersibility were within the range of 0.52-0.54g/ml, 56.50-66.00g/g and 4.47-5.75% respectively. The sample, BFSUD had the highest crude protein, dispersibility and water absorption capacity was selected and mixed with cassava flour for amala on which sensory evaluation was conducted. Five aerial yam flour (AY) treatments were formulated and coded as follow: AY100, AY80CS20, AY60CS40, AY40CS60, and AY20CS80. Cassava flour (CS100) was used as control treatment. The overall acceptability of flour paste (amala) ranged from 5.45 (Sample AY80CS20) to 7.25 (sample AY100). The study revealed treatment AY60CS40 and AY80CS20 possessed the overall acceptability, mean score above 7.0 (like slightly). Therefore 60-80% incorporation of aerial yam flour with cassava is recommended based on desirable sensory characteristics. Aerial yam flour can be used for food preparation and commercial purpose which may in turn increase the utilization.

Cassava root spoils rapidly after harvest but can be well preserved by storing under freezing. This study investigated the functional, chemical and physicochemical properties of flour produced from frozen cassava roots. Freezing period did not significantly (p

Snacks made of maize are popular in Nigeria, but deficient in two essential amino acids (Tryptophan and lysine) and niacin. In this study, the quality attributes of maize snacks fortified with groundnut paste (10- 40%) of boiled and roasted groundnut were studied. The functional properties of the flour blends were analysed. Snacks were analysed for proximate, colour and sensory attributes. Results showed significant differences (p

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit is among numerous fruits that has a high moisture content and is therefore desirable for human consumption. In order to ensure its availability all through the year, processing into juice and other valuable processes are being carried out in order to reduce the rate of spoilage and watermelon juice losses. The high moisture content in fruits makes them highly susceptible to spoilage. Watermelon juice and extract of serendipity berry (Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii) were blended together in the following ratios: sample A (100 ml+10 ml), sample B (100 ml+20 ml), sample C (100 ml+30 ml), sample D (100 ml+40 ml), and sample E (100 ml+50 ml) respectively, while pure watermelon juice served as a control sample. Microbial and sensory analyses of the samples were evaluated over twelve weeks of storage. Over the period of storage, the results showed that microbial load of the control sample ranged between 1.1x105-9.7.6x107 cfu/ml, while treated samples ranged between 0.2 x105- 1.4x105 cfu/ml, with some of the treated samples having negligible growth

Sample analyses, organoleptic, sensory and viability tests were carried out in the laboratory to evaluate the effects of ten plant products with insecticidal properties on cowpea seeds stored for six months. Actellic 2% dust® (Pirimiphos-methyl) was used as a standard insecticide. Most of the plants are used for culinary or medicinal purposes in Nigeria. Sample analyses were conducted before and after six months of storage. Cowpea seeds were stored with either pulverized plant materials at the rates of 2.5, 5.0 and 10.0 g/100 g seeds or Actellic 2% dust at the rates of 1.0, 2.0 and 3.0 g/100 g seeds to determine the crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, total ash and moisture content of the seeds. Organoleptic tests of cooked seeds for taste, odour, texture, appearance and overall acceptability and sensory tests for firmness and appearance of uncooked treated seeds relative to a control were evaluated at a single rate of 10.0 g plant powder or 3.0 g Actellic®/100 g seed. Viability tests on the seeds were carried out before commencement and six months after storage. All data were subjected to ANOVA and differences between means determined at 5% probability level. Sample analysis showed that all the plant products and Actellic® increased the moisture and crude fibre contents and decreased the crude protein content. The plant products and Actellic had no significant adverse effect on organoleptic characteristics and viability of the treated seeds. Sensory tests of uncooked seeds stored with most of the materials were also adjudged to be as good as the untreated control by a majority of the panelists.

Ackee Apple Seeds (AAS) subjected to chemical detoxification with glycine and riboflavin at 5% coupled with traditional treatments of soaking and boiling to leach out some soluble AAS toxins, hypoglycin A and B, was evaluated for nutritional adequacy using day chicks (DOC). Six iso-caloric and nitrogenous diets were prepared with graded levels of 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0 and 12.5% AAS meal in rations 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 respectively. The diets including a corn-soybeans control diet were fed ad libitum to 144-DOC in a 4-week feeding trial. Results showed that the test feedstuff improved blood composition (PCV, WBC). The non- significant difference recorded on lengths of GIT parts including ileum and duodenum relative to th e reference diet suggest the similarity of the test diets with the conventional diet (p>0.05). Differences observed on absolute and relative organ weights (AOW and ROW) supported the result on performance which gave significant increase in body weight gain (p

Microbial attacks during storage are one of the primary causes of product deterioration, and can limit the process of prolonging the shelf-life of harvested food. In this study, sweet potatoes were stored at temperatures of 13, 21, and 29 °C for 4 weeks. Samples were collected during storage and plated on potato dextrose agar, from which axenic mold cultures were obtained and identified using 26S rRNA gene sequences. Physiological changes of potato tubers were assessed with respect to pathogenicity, enzyme activity, and atmospheric storage conditions. Six fungal species were identified, namely Penicillium chrysogenum (P. rubens), P. brevicompactum, Mucor circinelloides, Cladosporium cladosporiodes, P. expansum, and P. crustosum. The following fungal isolates, namely P. expansum, P. brevicompactum, and Rhizopus oryzae, were recovered from the re-infected samples and selected according to their levels of enzyme activity. This study revealed high levels of activity for cellulase and pectinase, which were most notable during the initial three days of testing, and were followed by a steady decrease (P

2 Abstract: Antioxidant properties of different species of pepper (Capsicum) were evaluated in pork patties from two weeks frozen pork. In 200 g pork patties was added 1.5 % cayenne, bell, tobasco or habenero pepper and a control. A positive reference control was prepared with 200 mg of α-tocopherol acetate in 200 g of pork patties. The preparations were made for raw and cooked samples. The addition of any specie of pepper in the patties showed a better antioxidative property (p

Jatropha curcas is an ornamental plant which is also employed to cure various infections in traditional medicine. The hexane, ethanolic and aqueous extracts and latex of this plant were analysed phytochemically and screened against different microorganisms responsible for various human infections. Phytochemical analysis of the extracts and latex revealed the presence of many secondary metabolites including steroids, alkaloids and saponins. Ethanolic extract was found to be richer than hexane extract and aqueous extract as well as latex. The extracts and latex displayed potent antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria gonorrhoea, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus flavus, giving minimum inhibitory concentration as low as 0.5 mL. The results confirmed the potency of this plant in treating human infections including sexually transmitted diseases.

The effect of mono-culture fungal fermentation on mineral composition and amino acid profile of mango (Mangifera indica) kernel cake was investigated. Rhizopus oligosporus, Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus stolonifer and Penicillium chrysogenum were isolated from decomposed mango kernels and then used to ferment mango kernel cake (MKC) for 168hrs. After fermentation the resulted MKC was dried at 60 0 C before analysis for minerals and amino acid profiles. The values of calcium (119.3mg/kg), potassium (457.1mg/kg) and iron (187.1mg/kg) of the R. stolonifer fermented MKC were higher (p

Tomato samples were dried at different frequency of light using clothes of different colours with wooden dryingfabrication. The proximate composition and microbial count of the Tomato fruits were determined. Resultsshowed that temperature and relative humidity of the environment affected the rate of drying of tomato as wellas the growth of spoilage organisms in the fruits. Highest temperature values of tomato was observed in thecontrol and light red colour frequency which also had a slightly lower average bacterial count (53 × 103 cfu/g and62 × 103 cfu/g) respectively. The light purple colour had highest average bacterial count of 96 × 103 cfu/g whichwas significantly higher (P

A comparative evaluation of the bacteria isolated from decomposing cow milk and soybean milk were investigated. Six (6) bacterial species Bacillus circulans, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus subtilis, Micrococcus luteus, Streptococcus faecalis and Streptococcus lactis were isolated from decomposing cow milk, while four (4) bacterial species namely Bacillus brevis, Bacillus licheniformis, Lactobacillus casei and Staphylococcus epidermidis were isolated from decomposing soybean milk stored at ambient temperature (30 + 10C). The initial bacterial load was found to be log 3.18 cfu/ml and log 3.70 cfu/ml in the decomposing cow milk and soybean milk respectively. The counts increased to log 9.99cfu/ml and 8.96 cfu/ml, in cow milk and soybean milk respectively, when the experiment was terminated. There was an increase from 40.0 to 90.0% occurrence of the bacterial isolates between day zero and day 4. Fresh cow milk contained 4.70% crude protein, 18.94% total solids and 0.0141% acidity; this values increased to 5.12 crude protein, 18.97% total solids and 0.1172% acidity in the spoilt sample while, fresh soybean milk contained 3.40% crude protein, 11.73% total solids and 0.0522% acidity, which also increased to 3.49% crude protein, 11.74% total solids and 0.0798% acidity in the spoilt sample on day 7. However, fresh cow milk was recorded to contain 9.75% soluble solids, 36.5mg/ml total sugar, and pH of 6.4; these values decreased to 7.67 soluble solids, 17.6mg/ml total sugar and pH of 3.9 in the spoilt sample while, fresh soybean milk was recorded to contain 9.60% soluble solids, 40.8%mg/ml total sugar and pH 6.2; this values also decreased to 5.69 soluble solids, 19.2mg/ml total sugar and pH 4.4 respectively on day 7, when the experiment was terminated. The 1.00 and 0.50% total ash with 3.50 and 2.75% crude fat recorded for the fresh cow milk and fresh soybean milk did not change in the spoilt samples throughout the study period. JARD Vol. 4 (2) 2005: pp. 122-138

Chemical composition of Moringa oleifera seeds obtained from the middle belt of Nigeria, Benue State, was determined and the seed was blended to form a seed meal. The Moringa oleifera Seed Meal, MOSM was included in diets at graded levels of 2.50, 5.00 and 7.50% and the dietary performance of the broiler chicks on the test diets was compared with that of a corn-soy reference diet. Results on the chemical/nutritional composition of MOSM showed that the full-fat seeds contained (%) on proximate basis, reasonable concentration of 90.38 dry matter, 25.37 crude protein, 14.16 crude fat, 4.03 mineral matter, 30.64 crude fiber, 25.80 soluble carbohydrate and 5.79 kcal/g gross energy. Analyses also gave appreciable quantities of the water and fat soluble vitamins, macro - and micro-minerals. Feeding chicks with the seed meal at graded levels in diets resulted in decrease in feed intake and body weight gain as the inclusion level increased in diets relative to the conventional diet (p < 0.05). Reduction in feed consumption could be attributed to the full-fat nature of the seed meal used which might have imparted extra-caloric effect in the test diets and slowed digestion and absorption as the analyzed nutrients content of diets. A higher ether extract value on Moringa based diets relative to the control diet was obtained. Phytochemical composition of Moringa namely phenols including tannins, saponins, phytate, cyanogenic glucoside, glucosinolates and other numerous chemical constituents affected the body weight of the chicks negatively with increasing dietary MOSM. Decrease in weight gain following increase in dietary seed meal could also be due to decrease in feed intake as a result of the bitter taste of alkaloids, saponins, acting in concert with the other Moringa phytotoxins in test diets. Survival rate (100%) was not affected indicating that the level of highest inclusion in this study (7.50%) was not fatal to the experimental animal models. Further research is progressing to ascertain the highest inclusion level possible to elicit fatality and attempts to detoxify or treat the seed meal before feeding to animals.