Asian Food Science Journal

The effect of treated (boiled unfermented, fermented, sprouted, and toasted) African locust bean seeds on the quality of yellow maize-based Ogi flour was evaluated. Standard methods were used in raw material preparation and analyses. Material balancing was used in the formulation of samples: maize flour/boiled unfermented locust bean seeds flour (MULB), maize flour/fermented locust bean seeds flour (MFLB), maize flour/sprouted locust bean seeds flour (MSLB), and maize flour/toasted locust bean seeds (MTLB) based on the 16% protein requirement by the protein advisory group for complementary food. Results for functional properties showed that, the inclusion of locust bean seed flour had a significant (p<0.05) effect on all the functional properties analyzed. The bulk density, water absorption capacity, swelling capacity, reconstitution index and gelatinization temperature ranged from 0.63-0.78 g/mL, 0.92-1.29 g/g, 3.93-4.75%, 1.27-1.73% and 85.54-88.44 °C respectively. All the Pasting properties increased with inclusion of treated African locust bean seed flour except pasting temperature which decreased. The pasting temperature ranged from 54.16 to 68.42 °C with the control sample (100% maize flour) having the highest value and the sample with toasted African locust bean seed flour inclusion MTLB (82.05% maize flour+ 17.95% Toasted Locust bean seeds flour) having the lowest pasting temperature respectively. The proximate parameters moisture (6.02-7.04%), protein (9.28-16.42 %), fat (1.83-3.62%), fibre (1.56-3.72%), and ash (4.73-8.82%), respectively, increased while carbohydrate significantly decreased from 61.08- 76.59%. The aroma, taste, and overall acceptability decreased with the inclusion of treated African locust beans flour in yellow maize ogi. However, the samples with toasted African locust beans seed flour and boiled unfermented African locust bean seed were within the acceptable range. The study established that acceptable and nutrients dense ogi can be produced from blends of yellow maize and treated African locust bean seed flour blends.