Assessment of Nutrient Content of Soy Bean and Bambara Nut-Enriched Cassava Flour Blends

Abstract

Background: Manihot esculenta, commonly called cassava, manioc, or yuca, is a common food crop in Azare with a carbohydrate-to-protein ratio of about 27:1. It is relatively cheaper than rice, wheat, and maize. Due to its affordability, it has become a staple food for over 300 million people, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This puts most children who rely on cassava as their staple food at risk of developing protein-energy malnutrition (PEM).

Method: The study aimed to improve the nutrient content of cassava flour by adding soybean and Bambara nut flours and assess their impact on the nutrient quality and admissibility of the flour. It also compared the nutrient content of soy bean-enhanced cassava flours with those of Bambara nut-enhanced cassava flours.

20% soybean (Sy20), 30% soybean (Sy30),20% Bambara nut (Bn20) and 30% Bambara (Bn30) flours were incorporated into the cassava blend. Moisture, Ash, crude fibre, crude lipid, protein, carbohydrate, calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, selenium, zinc and iodine concentrations were examined. 500 questionnaires were distributed to examine respondents’ acceptability of the enhanced products from the blends.

Results: There is a significant increase in the protein content of cassava from less than 1% without augmentation to 10.26 in SY20 and 12.76 in SY30 augmented cassava floors, respectively. The crude lipids, crude fibre and ash contents were also increased. The observed differences were significant (P < 0.05). A similar trend was observed with the BN20 and BN30 blends, though the nutrient content was higher in the SY blends. 98% of respondents positively accepted the enhanced blends in terms of flavour, texture, taste and colour.

Conclusion: Soybean and Bambara nut cassava enhanced flours have shown tremendous nutrient quality improvement and can be used to combat malnutrition and its consequences in low-income communities whose staple diet is carbohydrate-rich, protein-deficient cassava.