Physical, nutritional and antioxidant properties of Zimbabwean bambara groundnut and effects of processing methods on their chemical properties

Abstract

This study examined the physical, nutritional and antioxidant properties of popular Zimbabwean bambara groundnut landraces and the effects of different processing methods on their chemical properties. The physical, nutritional and antioxidant properties of grains of the bambara landraces differed significantly with grain type, and the processing methods investigated had varying effects on the chemical properties of the grains. Bambara had significantly lower protein content than the reference common bean. Protein and carbohydrate content of the grains increased upon dehulling, while tannin (approx. 36%), total phenolic content (approx. 83%) and antioxidant activities (approx. 18%) decreased. Roasting alone seemed to have little or no effect on the nutrient content of the grains, while sifting significantly reduced the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of all the dehulled and roasted samples. The results indicate that roasting bambara grains would be a suitable method as it is relatively more conservative of nutrients and antioxidants than the other methods investigated.

Bambara Groundnut: An Underutilized Leguminous Crop for Global Food Security and Nutrition

“…The seed coat, or testa, is sometimes separated from the cotyledons before further processing. Since a high proportion of the antinutritional components are present in the testa, dehulling can improve the digestibility and nutritional value of the seeds, in particular through increased mineral and protein availability ( 40 , 59 ). Removal of the testa also reduces the dietary fiber content ( 45 , 52 ), which can have both negative and positive implications, depending upon the nutritional status of the consumer.…”

Total phenolic content, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial potentials of Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) seed extract

“…Grain coat colour suggests inherent genetic differences and may indicate the overall composition of the grains. For example, protein content (23.25%) of brown Bambara was higher than red Bambara (19.22%) grown under the same conditions (Oyeyinka et al, 2017b). Thus, variation in the coat colour of the grains may partly be explained by the differences in the grain composition (Table 1).…”

Profiling Cultivars Development in Kersting's Groundnut [Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal and Baudet] for Improved Yield, Higher Nutrient Content, and Adaptation to Current and Future Climates

“…The proteins of KG exhibit interesting essential amino-acid profiles (32.7-44.1%) that make the crop attractive for smallholder farmers. It has a higher arginine proportion compared to many other legumes such as Bambara groundnut (0.064-5.48%, Aremu et al, 2017;Oyeyinka et al, 2017), cowpea (3.5-8.52%, Khattab et al, 2009;Eashwarage et al, 2017), common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) (1.17-7.59%, Junkanti et al, 2012;Bouchenak et al, 2013). These findings showed high variability in the levels of nutrients and anti-nutrients in KG, which is potentially due to the biochemical analysis techniques, seed quality, environments, as well as landraces used.…”