ABSTRACT
The study aims at assessing the physicochemical properties, heavy metals, and aflatoxins content of crude palm and groundnut oils produced and sold in the Adikpo, Wadata, and Otukpa areas of Benue state, Nigeria. Specific gravity, refractive index, acid value, saponification value, peroxide value, moisture content, and smoke point are the physicochemical properties evaluated. The heavy metals analyzed include; Lead, Nickel, Copper, Iron, Arsenic, and Iron. Total aflatoxins were determined by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Findings revealed that most of the physicochemical properties of palm and groundnut oils from these areas deviated from the Food and Agricultural Organization/World Health Organization (FAO/WHO) standard range. A high amount of Cadmium (0.89 mg/kg, 1.01 mg/kg, and 0.92 mg/kg) was detected in the local groundnut oil samples but lesser in palm oils from Adikpo, Wadata, and Otukpa respectively, while Copper content was within the FAO/WHO safe limits. The arsenic content of palm oil produced in the region was not as high as those in groundnut oil but was higher than the recommended maximum limit of 0.1 mg/kg. The Nickel content in the oil samples was higher than the 0.50 mg/kg permissible limit, but Lead was within the safe limits. Total Aflatoxin content in crude groundnut oil was within the range of 9.05 ppm to 10.13 ppm, while a range of 2.03 ppm to 2.74 ppm was recorded in crude palm oil. The locally produced oils are of lower quality, suggesting that refining should be adopted and quality seeds should be used for the extraction of oils.
ABSTRACT
The need to improve and enhance the nutritional quality of locally made foods (bakery and confectionaries) cannot be overemphasized. This study set out to meet this need by producing composite flours from wheat, defatted peanut and orange peel flour blends which will serve an even greater issue of reducing the cost of wheat importation and use. The samples were coded as follows: A-100:0:0, B-90:5:5, C-85:10:5, D-80:15:5, E-75:20:5 of wheat flour: Defatted peanut flour: orange peel flour. The flours produced were analyzed for functional, anti-nutrient, proximate, minerals, and phytochemical properties. The functional properties of flours; bulk density, swelling capacity, OAC, WAC, and Foaming capacity ranged from 0.43 to 0.93 g/ml, 0.89 to 5.67%, 0.47 to 2.55 g/L, 1.75 to 4.35ml/g, 0.52 to 10.56% respectively. The anti-nutritional properties: phytates, tannins, and trypsin inhibitor content of flours ranged from 0.0352 to 0.0845%, 0.040 to 0.600%, and 0.011 to 0.048mg/g respectively. The proximate composition of the flour samples, Moisture, Protein, fats, crude fibre, ash, carbohydrates, and energy values ranged from 5.58 to 9.55%, 6.33 to 15.64%, 1.06 to 3.51%, 0.24 to 4.07%, 1.42 to 2.65%, 85.37 to 64.58% and 376.34 to 352.47kcal/100g respectively. The mineral composition in the samples ranged from 232.05 to 394.62mg/100g for Ca, 76.09 to 122.27mg/100g for Mg, 6.71 to 29.42 mg/100g for Fe, 108.78 to 256.47mg/100g for K, 10.09 to 25.75 mg/100g for Zn. The phytochemical composition of the samples was as follows; 0.067-0.153%, for saponins; 0.043-1.457%, for alkaloids; 1.03-13.77mgGAE/g, for Total phenolics; 3.07-29.31mg/QE, for Total Flavonoids respectively. The composite flour herein produced demonstrates great potential for its use in the development of functional foods given its great nutrients and improved functional characteristics. However sample E with 75%wheat: 20%DPF: 5%OPF surpassed all other samples in terms of the quality attributes and therefore was the best of the formulations.