The use of germinated cereals and legumes in reducing bulk of weaning foods was investigated. The blends were formulated and studied for their viscosity, acceptability, and quality. Germinated rice-mungbean, germinated rice-cowpea, germinated corn-mungbean and germinated corn-cowpea (germination period was 72 hr for rice/corn and 48 hr for mungbean/cowpea) indicated viscosity reduction from about 20,000 cps to about 3,000 cps at the 70:30 ratio with concomitant good scores in general acceptability. About 400 mL gruel prepared from the formulations met l/3 RDA for protein and energy rcquirements of infants. The products were found stable for 6 months, microbially safe, and well-tolerated by the infants.
Acceptable and microbiologically safe weaning food formulations prepared from 70:30 combination of germinated rice:mungbean, germinated rice:cowpea, germinated corn:mungbean, and germinated corn:cowpea were nutritionally evaluated. Germination reduced the dietary bulk of the formulations due to decrease in viscosity of gruels, hence increasing their nutrient density. All blends had amino acid values that approximated the FAO reference pattern, except for the S-containing amino acids. The rice-based formulations were found superior to the corn-based ones based on the chemical score for cystine/methionine, net dietary protein energy and protein efficiency ratio. Germination increased the micronutrient contents of the formulations except for calcium.
Four weaning food formulations prepared from 70% 72-hr germinated rice/corn and 30% 48-hr germinated mungbeankowpea were studied for tocopherol constituents and compared to ungerminated controls. y-Tocopherols were the major constituents of the mungbean-supplemented samples. The cowpea-supplemented foods contained a predominance of 8-tocopherols followed closely by y-tocopherols. QTocopherols were comparatively higher in corn-than in rice-formulations. Tocopherols in the weaning foods decreased due to germination especially the y-tocopherols of germinated corn-mungbean.
Germinated rice, corn, mungbean, cowpea, and weaning foods prepared from their selected combinations were studied for their saccharide profile by TLC, total and soluble sugars content, and amylase activities in the flour and gruel samples. The enzyme system present in the germinated materials resulted in the partial digestion of carbohydrates into maltooligosaccharides, as shown by TLC pattern and soluble sugars determination of all materials germinated for 48, 72, and 96 h. Rice had the highest concentration of amylase, followed by cowpea, corn, and mungbean. The amylolytic activity produced during germination was retained in the flour despite drying and roasting processes involved. The processes of germination and gruel preparation of germinated materials contributed to the digestibility of weaning foods prepared from cereals and legumes.
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