Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
Adelakun Oluyemisi Elizabeth
AcceptedAbstracts: J Nutr Food Sci
Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus Moench) is a vegetable specially valued in different parts of Nigeria for its delicious fruits and it is consumed alone or in combination with other foods. Nutritionally, the richest part of okra plants is the dried seed as it is very rich in protein, oil and antioxidant. This work assessed the influence of pretreatments and varieties on some quality attributes of okra seed flour. Okra seed (?iwo agborin? variety) was preliminary subjected to different pretreatments such as soaking, blanching, malting and roasting at varying time following standard methods reported in literature. The seeds were milled and sieved to obtain a flour fraction of less than 250 μm. Pretreated and untreated okra seed flour were analyzed for functional properties and mineral contents which had effect on the mineral and the functional properties of the flour. Five (5) different varieties of okra seeds (NCRI- 05, IFE-1, NGAE- 96-012-3, NGAE -05 AND AKURE -2-2) were further fermented and examined for proximate composition and some functional properties. The fermented seed flour showed an improvement in nutrient composition and some functional properties. The study has a good potential of being consumed as a complete diet or incorporated in human food in developing countries where protein foods are not adequate in supply. It can also serve as functional ingredient in a variety of food formulations. Incorporation of okra seed flour in various food formulations will be beneficial to human health.
Adelakun Oluyemisi Elizabeth has completed his Ph.D from Department of Food Science and Engineering, Ladoke Akintola university of Technology, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria. As part of her doctoral studies in Food Science, she was able to secure a funding which enabled her to do part of the analysis in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University from late January to June 2008. She has published about 20 papers in reputed journals and reviewed many articles for accredited journals.