Abstract
Cereal gruels prepared from fermented maize (yellow and white) and sorghum seeds are the forms in which cereal are popularly consumed in tropical Africa, mostly as weaning food for children. The present study sought to determine the nutritional and antioxidant properties of cereal gruels produced from maize (yellow and white) and sorghum seeds. Seeds of maize (yellow and white) and sorghum were fermented (in water) for 3 d before milling and sieving. The filtrate obtained was allowed to sediment and pressed in a sack to obtain the cereal gruels. The nutrients (proximate and mineral composition), anti-nutrients (phytate, cyanide, and tannin), and antioxidant activity (total phenolic content, reducing power, free radical scavenging ability and Fe2 + chelating ability) of the gruels were subsequently determined. The results of the study revealed that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the protein (7.0–7.6%), crude fiber (0.1%), ash (0.5–0.8%), carbohydrate (90.2–90.4%), and anti-nutrient [cyanide (0.3mg/kg), phytate (280.5–282.3mg/100g), tannin (0.2–0.3%)] contents of the gruels produced from maize (yellow and white) and sorghum. However, fat and Zn content of yellow-maize gruel was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than others, while sorghum had a significantly (P < 0.05) higher Fe, Mg, Ca, and Na content than the other gruels. White-maize gruel had a significantly higher K than others. The calculated [Ca][phytate]/[Zn molar ratio of the cereal gruels were above 0.5mol./Kg, an indication of reduced Zn content. The results of the antioxidant properties revealed that there was no significant difference (P > 0.05) in the total water extractable phenolics in the cereal gruels. However, white-maize gruel had a significantly higher (P < 0.05) free radical scavenging ability, reducing power and Fe (II) chelating ability than yellow-maize and sorghum gruels, while sorghum gruel had the least antioxidant activity (except in Fe (II) chelation ability). It is obvious from the study that the maize (white and yellow) and sorghum gruel had low nutrient (proximate and mineral), cyanide and tannin content; the phytate present in the gruels reduced the estimated bioavailability of Zn to a critical level. Nevertheless, the cereal gruels had relatively high antioxidant activity, with white-maize gruel having the highest antioxidant potentials.
Published Version
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