This investigation determined how changes in chemical composition of malting red and white kaffir sorghum grains dried under the sun affected the resistance of the malts to fracture as determined by the Monsanto Hardness Tester. The sorghum grains were malted by a modification of the 2-step wet steep method and dried under the sun. The results showed that malting increased diastatic activity to peak values of 78.40°L and 56°L in the red and white malts; moisture content from 115 to 165 g/kg and 125 to 170 g/kg, crude protein from 104.20 to 183 g/kg and 92.8 to 153.20 g/kg respectively but decreased the fat content. Grain hardness decreased from 83.20 to 42.50 N in the red malts and from 72.70 to 39.30 N in the white. The increases in diastatic activity, moisture, crude protein and reduced fat contents appear to have contributed most to the reduction in grain hardness.

The study evaluated the chemical and antioxidant properties of Alternanthera brasiliana leaves and Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces used in iron and zinc fortification of maizebambara groundnut malt and maize-cowpea malt complementary foods. A. brasiliana and H. sabdariffa extracts had concentration-dependent DPPH activity with IC 50 of 1.76 mg/ml and 5.745 mg/ml, nitric oxide scavenging activity with IC 50 of 0.675 mg/ml and 3.976 mg/ml while the ferric reducing power had an absorbance range of 0.5 -0.982 and 0.959 -0.986 respectively. The study revealed that A.brasiliana leaves and H. sabdariffa calyces contain components that will impact positively on the health of the infants when used to formulate complementary foods.

BACKGROUND Soaking and air‐resting are processing steps in malting. This has been reported to increase metabolic and enzyme activities in rice paddy as a result of exposure of the grain to atmospheric oxygen. The present study evaluated the effect of soaking and air‐resting on the phytochemical composition of Piper guineense seeds. The seed extracts were prepared by: soaking the seeds in water for 4 h; air‐resting for 30, 60, 90, and 120 min; and re‐soaking for another 4 h. The out‐of‐steep seeds were milled and an extract was formed by tissue homogenization and maceration using ethanol. The phytochemical, antioxidant, and antibacterial properties of the seed extract were determined using standard methods. RESULTS The alkaloid, flavonoid, saponin, tannin, and total phenol contents were 0.126–0.268, 0.091–0.172, 0.080–0.123, 0.00–0.107, and 0.447–0.908 g kg−1 respectively. The antioxidant properties (reducing power) of the seed extracts were concentration‐dependent and were in the range 1.08–3.24 g kg−1 at 8 mg mL−1, 1.14–3.47 g kg−1 at 16 mg mL−1, 1.30–3.35 g kg−1 at 24 mg mL−1, 1.26–3.11 g kg−1 at 32 mg mL−1, and 1.13–3.04 g kg−1 at 40 mg mL−1, respectively. The antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed that, at 100 mg mL−1, the inhibition zone diameters of the seed extracts were in the range 10–23 mm. CONCLUSION Soaking and air‐resting of P. guineense seeds increased the phytochemical components of the seeds. The extracts from the seeds air‐rested for 30 min showed the highest phytochemical contents and had the highest antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

The effects of some leguminous seed flour (LSF) on the viscoelastic properties of wheat, maize and cassava flours were investigated. The aim of the work was to evaluate the effect of the LSF on the pasting characteristics of the flours. There were significant differences in the proximate composition of the flours used in this study. Three LSF namely Brachystegia eurycoma, Detarium microcarpum, and Mucuna sloanei flours were used in this study. The LSF were added differently at 0 and 2% to wheat, maize and cassava flours on dry weight bases, the 0% addition served as the control. The viscoelastic properties were determined using Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). The results showed that the LSF significantly affected the pasting properties of the wheat, maize and cassava flours. The LSF significantly increased (p>0.05) the breakdown, final, trough and peak viscosities of the wheat and maize flours. However, the LSF significantly (p>0.05) reduced the peak, breakdown and setback viscosities of cassava flour compared to the control.

The study investigated the effect various processing treatments on the physicochemical composition of mucuna seed flour and consumer acceptability of bitter leaf soups thickened using these flours. Mucuna pruriens vas utilis seeds were processed by roasting, microwave toasting, steeping and boiling and/or a combination of these treatments followed by drying for 48 hours and milling into flour. The processed flours were used to thicken bitter leaf soup and consumer acceptability of the soups were evaluated by sensory evaluation and data generated were statistically analyzed. The results showed that the proximate composition of samples ranged from 10.71- 22.94 %; 14.25 to 17.95 %; 2.43 - 9 4.93%. 0.59-3.27%, 2.62-5.68%, 48.43% - 57.40% of crude protein, moisture; ash, fiber, fat and carbohydrate respectively, with the sample MB (boiled mucuna seed) having the highest protein content. The Overall acceptability score ranged from 6.00 to 8.06 with the sample MSB (steeped and boiled mucuna seed flours) having the highest score while the mean scores for taste, aroma and mouth feel ranges from 7.67– 8.00; 6.53 – 7.67; 6.13 – 7.93 respectively. Therefore, with an overall acceptability rating of 6-8 for all the soups, processed Mucuna seed could favorably compare with other soup thickeners especially the soaked and boiled Mucuna seed flour.