Comparison of the Proximate and Anti-Nutritional Composition of Malted and Un-Malted Seeds of Three Indigenous Seeds for Use as Weaning Food

Abstract

Proximate and anti-nutritional composition of some selected seed flours; Corn (Zea mays Everta), Bambara nut (Vigna subterreanea.L.Verdc) and Soybeans (Glycine max) were carried out before and after malting as potential raw materials for weaning. The seeds were cleaned separately of dirt and extraneous materials. Forty grams of each seed was weighed and divided into 2 equal parts. The first part was malted by steeping and germinating then dried at 60OC for 28hrs, milled and sieved into flour. The second part, raw seeds (un-malted) were also milled into flour separately and each assessed for proximate and anti-nutritional composition. The results showed that the proximate content of the on-malted seeds ranged from; carbohydrates (33.83±0.81 to 77.19±0.17%), protein (11.66±1.02 to 33.25±0.00%), crude fat (4.20±0.57 to 6.10±0.64%) and ash (2.43±0.04 to 6.63±1.24%), while the malted seeds contained 56.53±1.52 to 68.08±0.47 carbohydrates, 11.38±0.39 to 16.63±1.24% protein, 4.10±1.14 to 9.90±0.14% crude fat and 4.23±0.39 to 5.05±0.00% ash. The carbohydrate and fat content of bambara nut and soybeans reduced after malting. Soybeans contained the highest crude fat both in raw and malted flour. Malted bambara nut contained the highest protein while corn contained the highest carbohydrates. Anti-nutrients such as tannin, phytate, oxalate, trypsin inhibitor and saponnin found in un-malted seeds reduced after malting. The study showed that these seeds when malted and used or their flours combined in various proportions could yield desirable quality weaning food capable of supplying nutrients required for infant growth and development.