Chemical and Nutritional Evaluation of Complementary Food from Blends of Quality Protein Maize and Conophor nuts (Tetracarpidium conophorum)

Abstract

Complementary food was formulated from Quality protein Maize (QPM) and Conophor Nuts (Tetracarpidum conophorum). The effectiveness of the blend in meeting nutritional requirement in complementary diet was investigated. Proximate composition of the samples were evaluated which include crude protein, fat, moisture content, crude fibre and ash. Rat feeding method was used for nutritional quality determination. Compounded experimental and control diet were fed to albino rats for 28 days. The results observed in this study revealed that blend of Quality protein maize and conophor nut produced good complementary food with an increase in protein content. Protein content of formulated diet was 17.69% compared to 9.0% of the Quality protein maize. Evaluation of protein quality revealed that the formulated diet compared favourably with casein diet at 10% iso nitrogenous protein level. The formulated diet has high protein quality that can support the growth of infants in developing countries. The diet microbial quality is within acceptable level.

Nutritional quality of formulated complementary diet from defatted almond seed, yellow maize and quality protein maize flours

“…Quality protein maize (QPM) is a bio-fortified maize with higher amount (46 and 66% higher than common maize) of lysine and tryptophan (the first and second limiting amino acids in common maize), respectively (Ikujenlola and Ogunba 2018) but lower amount of leucine and isoleucine (Fagbemi et al 2018). These two amino acids (lysine and tryptophan) are found indispensable for healthy growth and developments of infants and young children (Ijarotimi and Keshinro 2012a).…”

“…Such a balanced combination of amino acids in the endosperm resulted into its higher biological value ensuring more availability of protein to human being than common maize (Ikujenlola and Ogunba 2018). Although, the total amount of protein in QPM is not actually increased but the protein is enhanced so that it delivered a higher benefit when consumed by human beings (Fagbemi et al 2018). QPM has previously been used to produce breakfast and weaning food blends (Abiose and Ikujenlola 2014;Ikujenlola and Ogunba 2018;Krishna-Motukuri 2019;Gemede 2020;Parsons et al 2020).…”