African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 5 (22), pp. 2329-2333, 16 November 2006   

ISSN 1684–5315 © 2006 Academic Journals        

Full Length Research Paper

Effects of some processing methods on the toxic components of African breadfruit (Treculia africana)

Ugwu, F. M.* and Oranye, N. A.

Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State, Nigeria.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: foluwise6@yahoo.com.

Accepted 25 September, 2006

A variety of breadfruit (Var africana) was evaluated for the presence of some anti-nutrients.  It was found to contain some hydrogen cyanide (26.45 mg/kg), tannin (184.10 mg/g), starchyose (1.8%) and rafffinose (1.01%). Different methods of processing such as fermentation, boiling, autoclaving and germination was found to have effect on the anti-nutritional factors. Fermentation for 48 h reduced hydrogen cyanide activity to 0.01 mg/kg, tannin to 6.42 mg/g, haemagglutinin to 6.80 Hu/g, phytate to 0.80 mg/g, starchyose and raffinose to 0.32% and 0.01%, respectively.  Boiling for 120 min reduced hydrogen cyanide activity to 4.40 mg/kg, tannin to 6.2 mg/g, haemagglutinin to 3.6 Hu/g, phytate to 0.56 mg/g, starchyose and raffinose to 0.44% and 0.02%, resppectively, while autoclaving for 60 min markedly reduced HCN to 3.40 mg/kg, tannin to 4.42 mg/g, haemagglutininin to undetectable, phytate to 0.42 mg/g, starchyose in traces and raffinose to undetectable. Finally, germination for 120 h reduced the HCN to 4.68 mg/kg, tannin to 18.16 mg/g, haemagglutininin to 10.0 Hu/g, phytate to 0.78 mg/g, starchyose to 0.24% and raffinose to 0.01%. From this research work, any of the processes could be employed in detoxifying the anti-nutritional factors in breadfruit. However, autoclaving was found to be best in the elimination of haemagglutinin, starchyose and raffinose while fermentation was effective in the reduction of hydrogen cyanide.  

Key words: African breadfruit, anti-nutrients, fermentation, germination.