Decoction extraction procedure was implemented to regain phenolic compounds from C. citratus leaves. The extraction variables, solid/liquid ratio (2-5 g/100 mL), temperature (85-95 C), and time (5-10 min) were assessed by central composite design for process optimization. Antioxidant activity (DPPH) and total polyphenol content (TPC) were monitored as responses. The TPC and DPPH were 71.98 AE 0.33 mg GAE/100 mL extract and 80.63 AE 0.49 mg TE/100mL extract respectively under optimal conditions (solid/liquid ratio ¼ 5, temperature ¼ 93.8 C and time 11.3 min). The evaluation of phenolic compounds and volatile compounds of C. citratus extract at conditions for optimum extraction revealed that caffeic (20.81 AE 0.003 mg/100mL) and syringic acids (18.63 AE 7.390 mg/100mL) were the main phenolic compounds while citral and geraniol were the primary volatile compounds. The results achieved herein suits the potential use of C. citratus extract as natural source of antioxidant and aroma compounds that can be employed in different industrial sectors. Practical application: Lemongrass obtained at the optimal extraction conditions is a good source of antioxidants and the extract has organic acids and a lemon scent due to the presence of citral. This extract can thereby be incorporated in the production of beverages which can help aromatize the beverage and also contribute in the addition of the antioxidant property of the beverage. It is also rich in organic acids, the main being propionic acid, which is known to have antimicrobial activity primarily against bacteria and mold. The lemongrass extract can therefore, extend the shelf life of the beverage they are incorporated in and also the citral present in lemongrass has antimicrobial properties.

The production of "bili-bili", a fermented drink made from sorghum, is one of the main components of urban food craft structures in North Cameroon. The technical practices incorporate differentiations justified by the adaptation of local technical availabilities thus leading to a variability of the final product quality. This study was therefore conducted in order to determine the influence of the various local practices identified in this part of Cameroon on intermediate products and the finished product. This study shows that the raw material (djigari) has a good malting ability with a weight of thousand grains of 29.57g, a germinative energy and a germinative capacity of 96 and 93.75% respectively. Its protein content is 12.79% and the total tannin and polyphenol contents are 0.47 and 0.64% respectively. The physicochemical parameters of samples taken at different stages of production vary by process. The different processes have a significant effect (P ˂0.05) on the physicochemical characteristics of "bili-bili" with the exception of the alcohol content. The ACP plane projection of the relations between the "bilibili" characteristics and the different processes has shown that the four beers produced from the different processes are all different.

Sorghum (Safrari) was valorized into sorghum coffee-lactose stouts using Vernonia amygdalina as a bittering ingredient. These sorghum grains and subsequent sorghum pale malt were tested for their acceptability in the brewing field. Results obtained were the germinative capacity of 99.29 ± 0.58%, a germinative energy of 98.56 ± 1.79%, a thousand corns weight 48.08 ± 0.02 g for the grains, and a diastatic power of 187.44 ± 7.89 WK for sorghum malt. The worts and beers produced were characterized and were found suitable. Moreover, alcohol content in stout beers obtained was between 8.8% and 9.4% ABV. Sensory evaluation was implemented on beers using 30 panellists and the best combination was the one using 50% lactose (250 g) and 50% coffee (250 g) in 5 L of wort during wort boiling.

In African communities, traditional beer drinking remains a unifying factor within its populations both socially, commercially, culturally, politically, in health and nutrition and for some ritual practices. In this research a field survey was carried out to investigate the consumption of corn beer and in particular Nkang in the North-West Region of Cameroon. The tools that were employed to carry out these investigations included face-to-face interviews and the use of properly designed questionnaires. Results from the survey showed that three types of maize-based beverages are drunk in the North-West Region of Cameroon, which are locally called Kwacha (whitish, most viscous and most turbid), Sha-ah (cream white, viscous and turbid) and Nkang (dark brown, least viscous and least turbid) in terms of colour, viscosity and turbidity. The percentage awareness of the existence of these beers from the sampled population gave the following values; 60.9% for Kwacha, 100% for Sha-ah and 89.1% for Nkang. Nonetheless, 54.5% of the 60.9% of those who were aware of the existence of kwacha had at least tasted it. Also 98.2% out of the 100% for Sha-ah and 85.5% out of 89.1% for Nkang had tasted them, too. Nkang was found to be the most preferred to Sha-ah then Kwacha in that order by the consumers since Nkang is very tasteful, least alcoholic, least turbid, least viscous, has the most attractive colour than the others, has a significant impact on the culture of some localities in this region and as well as it is natural and nutritious. However, Nkang as well as the other two has varying organoleptic properties, unsatisfactory conservation and short shelf-life. Hence are consumed within a short period of time from their production. Because of the low alcoholic content of Nkang, the beverage is consumed by both adults (most elderly), children, those who have health problems and it is mostly preferred by some Christians though

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