Nutritive and Antinutrient Values of Soybean Condiments Produced from Indigenous Fermenters

Abstract

Several studies have shown that most condiments consumed in Nigeria today are fortified with chemicals that alter the nature and stripped the nutrients and natural immunological adjuvants designed by nature to protect the body system. Several condiments have been developed from fermented foods in order to control this ugly situation but there is still controversial thought on the nutritive and antinutrient effects of the condiment. The aim of this study was to evaluate the nutritive and antinutrient values of the soybean condiments produced using indigenous fermenters. Soybean (Glycine max) sample was fermented with indigenous microorganisms isolated from 7 days old fermented soybean sample. This was oven-dried, pulverized and packaged in a cleaned sterile screw capped container. Gravimetric, spectrometric and titrimetric methods were employed for the nutritive and antinutrient parameters. Lactobacillus plantarum strain ZS 2058 (L), Bacillus subtilis strain 168 (B) and Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain YJM555 (Y) were the indigenous microbes used singly and in consortium for the production of light to dark brown condiments with water activity ranging from 0.27 – 0.37 for the fermented soybean in the plate and 0.22 - 0.36 for the fermented soybean wrapped with Thaumatococcus danielli leaves (called Uma in Igbo and Ewe eran in Yoruba). The moisture, ash, fat, protein, crude fiber, carbohydrate and B-carotene contents ranges from 2.70 – 14.75 %, 0.03 – 4.10 %, 11.11 – 14.69 %, 48.22 – 53.77 %, 10.22 – 12.04%, 8.16 – 21.61 % and 6.92 – 8.14 % respectively. The isoflavone contents (0.096 -0.132 % w/w) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that of normal soybean (0.068 %). The phytates, lectin, oxalates and tannins contents were significantly (0.01>P<0.05) reduced to minimum values of 0.01 mg/g, 0.02 mg/g, 0.02 g/100g and 0.08 mg/g respectively. Therefore condiments produced from fermentation of soybean using indigenous B, L, Y, BL and BLY are recommended as this would enhance its safety and nutritional quality, and those fermented in plastic plates using BLY were the most efficient, preferable and acceptable.