EFFECT OF TRADITIONAL FOOD PREPARATION TECHNIQUE ON THE NUTRITIVE VALUE OF THE FRUIT OF TRECULIA AFRICANA

Abstract

A nutritional study was carried out with the fruit of the tree, Treculia Africana. This fruit is used as food in many parts of Africa. In this study, the whole fruit of the plant, Treculia Africana, the raw unprocessed seeds, the parboiled seeds and the cooked “afon” diet were analysed respectively using standard methods, for their mineral, vitamin, amino acid, fat, crude protein, soluble sugar and total carbohydrate contents. Changes in the nutrient contents of the seeds which were brought about by preliminary par-boiling, and during the dietary preparation, were evaluated from these analyses. The effects of preliminary par-boiling and dietary preparation, were evaluated from these analyses. The effects of preliminary par-boiling and dietary preparation on the nutrional values of the unprocessed seeds, par-boiled seed, and cooked ‘afon’ diet were determined by a rat assay method. The true digestibility (T.D.), protein efficiency ratio (P.E.R), net protein utilization (NPU), net protein ration (NPR), the biological value (BV), and Net dietary protein calories percent (NDP cals %), have been determined using a specially designed battery of wire net cages in which it is possible to collect faeces and urine of the rats separately. The quantitative estimation of the various amino acids in the whole fruit of Treculia Africana, the unprocessed seeds, the par-boiled seeds and the cooked ‘afon’ diet was made using an automatic amino acid analyser. Some losses due to preliminary par-boiling and cooking were observed. The data from the proximate analysis show that the cotyledons of the seeds of Treculia Africana are valuable source of good quality protein and energy.