The effect of thermal processing (roasting and boiling) on the nutritional, antinutritional, and antioxidant properties of African walnut was studied.Tetracarpidium conophorum(African walnut) was subjected to thermal treatment of roasting (RWIS), boiling with shell (BWIS), and boiling without shell (BWOS). The resulting samples with raw nut (RAAW) which served as control were analysed for proximate composition, antinutritional components, and antioxidant activity. The protein, fat, and ash contents of the samples on dry basis were 29.14%, 54.14%, and 3.32% (RAAW); 24.13%, 61.75%, and 2.77% (BWIS); 22.47%, 62.65%, and 2.16% (BWOS); and 24.25%, 60.52%, and 2.48% (RWIS), respectively. Thermal processing had significant effect on all the proximate principles; boiling and roasting generally reduced the protein and ash contents of the nut. Boiling with or without shell reduced the phytate and tannin contents of the nut while roasting increased the level of these two antinutritional components; walnut boiled without shell however, had the lowest phytate and tannin contents of 0.815 mg/100 g and 0.239 mg/100 g, respectively. The antioxidant activities of the samples were 8.47% (RAAW), 13.82% (BWIS), 14.96% (BWOS), and 7.29% (RWIS). This study reveals that thermal processing has a significant effect on the proximate principles, bioavailability, and antioxidant activity of African walnut.

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The objectives of this study were to produce complementary foods from locally available, underutilized and inexpensive food materials (breadfruit and soybean), to assess their nutrients value and evaluate their sensory acceptability. Breadfruit and soybean flours were mixed in ratios 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40 (w/w) respectively. Proximate and mineral compositions of the blends were determined using standard analytical methods; energy value was estimated using the Atwater factor. The blends were prepared for sensory evaluation by cooking with the addition of vegetable oil and sucrose and then subjected to sensory evaluation using a commercial complementary food as control. The crude protein, crude fat, ash and crude fiber contents increased significantly with increased inclusion of soybean flour from 5.36 to 22.02 g/100 g, 1.03 to 6.03 g/100 g, 1.06 to 2.55 g/100 g and 4.77 to 5.86 g/100 g respectively while carbohydrate content reduced from 81.81 to 55.24 g/100 g. The energy value ranged from 357.97 to 363.31 kcal/100 g. The samples contained 66.74 - 76.50 mg/100 g sodium, 687.43 – 725.65 mg/100 g potassium, 64.00 – 103.04 mg/100 g calcium, 145.76 – 242.51 mg/100 g phosphorus, 4.80 – 9.98 mg/100 g iron and 3.18 – 4.61 mg/100 g zinc. The result of the sensory evaluation showed that 70:30 complementary food was the most preferred and acceptable in terms of all the sensory attributes evaluated and it compared favourably with the control. This sample also showed a promising capacity to meet the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of protein, carbohydrate, potassium, phosphorus, iron and zinc for infants (7 -12 months). This study has shown that complementary food produced from breadfruit and soybean flour has appreciable nutritional density in terms of proximate and mineral compositions and could be used as a substitute for expensive commercial complementary foods especially among families with low income in Nigeria and other developing countries of the world.

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The need to explore potentials of pregelatinization and microwave radiation as non laborious and inexpensive processes of starch modification and to promote utilization of cocoyam starch were the reasons behind this study. Starches extracted from white and red varieties of cocoyam were modified using two physical methods: pregelatinization and microwave radiation. Functional and pasting properties of native and modified starches were evaluated using standard methods. Swelling power of the starches (1.70 – 4.10) reduced significantly (p<0.05) with pregelatinization but increased significantly (p<0.05) with microwave radiation. Water absorption capacity (1.00 – 3.20 ml/g), packed bulk density (0.56 – 0.83 g/ml) and loose bulk density (0.46 – 0.64 g/ml) of the starches increased significantly (p<0.05) while least gelation concentration (4.00 - 8.00%) reduced significantly (p<0.05) as a result of modifications. Peak, trough, breakdown, final and setback viscosity of white and red cocoyam native starches were 3687 cP and 4144 cP; 2213 cP and 2519 cP; 1474 cP and 1625 cP; 3595 cP and 4142 cP; 1382 cP and 1623cP respectively. Pregelatinization significantly increased (p<0.05) these pasting viscosity values in white cocoyam starch but reduced them significantly (p<0.05) in red cocoyam starch. Microwave radiation caused a significant increase (p<0.05) in the pasting viscosity values of both white and red cocoyam starches except breakdown viscosity which reduced