Ultrasound-assisted oxalate reduction vs. conventional methods: A comparative study in Elephant foot yam (Amorphophallus paeoniifolius) and process optimization using response surface methodology

Abstract

Elephant foot yams are high in protein, carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and glucose, all of which are good sources of nutrients. Despite numerous investigations on yam phytochemical concentrations employing different treatments, the quality and amount of phytochemical loss from Elephant foot yam is a major barrier to the traditional extraction procedure. The oxalate content of elephant foot yam has led to severe underutilization. Several techniques, including boiling, ultrasonication, and NaCl treatment, have been devised to reduce calcium oxalate. To achieve the greatest possible reduction of oxalate content in the yam, the three-element Box-Behnken design was utilized in this study to optimize the ultrasound-aided reduction of oxalate from elephant foot yam. To increase the reduction of antinutritional factors such as oxalate from Elephant Foot Yam, an ultrasound-assisted technique was utilized to optimize the sonication period (10, 15 or 20 min), solid-liquid ratio (1: 10, 1:20, and 1:30 g/ml), and ultrasound power (20, 30, 40 Watt). The best values obtained for the reduction of oxalate were 43.2%, where the solid-liquid ratio was 29.08 g/ml, the sonication power was 39.93 Watt, and the sonication period was 20 min. The outcomes demonstrated that UAE reduces oxalate more than the traditional approach and that UAE was a useful and effective way for lowering oxalate in elephant foot yam.