Nutritional evaluation of maize bread supplemented with peanut flour

ABSTRACT

Maize [corn] flour was supplemented with 10, 20 and 30% levels of peanut flour [PNF] prepared by direct solvent extraction technique. Results of chemical analysis showed an increase in the contents of crude protein [30-91%], ash [22-61%] and crude fiber [23-59%] in the supplemented blends. Among the mineral elements investigated, K, Ca, P, Zn, Cu and Mn contents increased while those of Na, Mg and Fe remained unchanged. Lysine was the limiting amino acid in maize flour and in the peanut-supplemented flours. The chemical score [FAO/WHO, 1973] of maize flour increased from 49 to 63 with 30% PNF. Biological evaluation of the supplemented breads [baked at 250°C for 15 min] with white albino rats showed a significant [P < 0.05] increase in the net protein utilization [NPU], true digestibility [TD], biological value [BV], net protein ratio [NPR] and protein efficiency ratio [PER] over the unsupplemented maize bread at 20% level which was the optimum level of supplementation in terms of nutritive benefit