Effect of heat-treatment and defatting on the proximate composition of some Nigerian local soup thickeners

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 53; no. 2; pp. 173 - 175
• Main Authors: Onyeike, Eugene N., Olungwe, Tamunosiki, Uwakwe, Augustine A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 1995; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Citrullus lanatus; Colocasia esculenta; dikanut seeds; fat; Food additives; food composition; Food industries; food processing; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; heat treatment; Irvingia gabonensis; melon seeds; nutrient content; proximate composition; raw foods; soups; thickeners; Nigeria; Africa; Soup; Heat treatment; Delipidation; Thickener; Nutritive value; Protein content; Feeding
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/0308-8146(95)90784-5

A comparative study of the effect of heat-treatment and defatting on the proximate composition of melon seeds ( Colocynthis citrullus Linn.), dikanut seeds ( Irvingia gabonensis) and cocoyam tuber ( Colocasia esculenta), mostly used now as conventional soup thickeners in southern Nigeria, was carried out. There was generally no significant difference in proximate composition between raw and heat-processed samples at the 5% level ( P = 0.05). In raw and defatted samples, the level of protein in melon seeds was 59.4% higher than in dikanut seeds and 90.3% higher than in cocoyam tuber; but in heat-processed and defatted samples, the protein level in melon seeds was 56.9% higher than in dikanut seeds and 87.5% higher than in cocoyam tuber. Similar trends were observed in the ash contents and ether extracts for both raw and heat-processed samples. However, the level of carbohydrate in raw defatted cocoyam tuber was 29.7% higher than in dikanut seeds and 75.1% higher than in melon seeds, but in heat-processed and defatted samples, carbohydrate level in cocoyam tuber was 36.9% higher than in dikanut seeds and 76.3% higher than in melon seeds. In the undefatted raw and heat-processed samples, the calorific values determined using Atwater factors were highest in dikanut seeds and lowest in cocoyam tubers.