Burukutu: Healthy and Superior Indigenous African Traditional Opaque Beverage

Abstract

This study was aimed at deepening knowledge on the social superiority based on the functionality and healthiness of burukutu opaque beverage, brewed with four cereals (sorghum, millet; maize and composite materials of the three cereals in equal ratio). Whereas sorghum-based burukutu beverage samples gave the highest levels of carbohydrate (24.04 ± 0.02%), ascorbic acid (0.15 ± 0.00 μg/100 g), magnesium (25.14 ± 0.03 mg/100 g), iron (4.17 ± 0.01 μg/100 g), and sodium (1.58 ± 0.02 mg/100 g); total fat (5.06 ± 0.02%), Ca2+ (3.96 ± 0.02 mg/100 g) and Mn2+ (4.71 ± 0.03 mg/100 g) varied the highest in millet-based burukutu beverage samples. Similarly, crude protein (15.14 ± 0.01%), total fibre (2.88 ± 0.31%) and ash (4.30 ± 0.02%) levels were highest in the maize-based burukutu samples while vitamin A precursors: β-carotene (1.89 ± 0.02 μg/100 g) and retinol (1.21 ± 0.01 μg/100 g) levels were highest in the composite material-based burukutu samples. However, variations in nutrient composition and caloric value amongst all samples were not significantly (p < 0.05) different. The study revealed that the indigenous African traditional burukutu opaque beverage is a healthy beverage which contains some functional phytochemical ingredients that can prevent the onset of certain chronic degenerative diseases including hypertension. On the basis of its nutrient composition, burukutu, therefore, is a superior traditional beverage that should be conferred some form of high social status.