Some Quality Characteristics and Carbohydrate Fractions of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea L.) Seed Flour

Abstract

A study was carried out to determine the physicochemical and functional properties of bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranean L) seed using standard methods of analyses. The proximate compositions (%) were as follow; moisture (9.82±0.02), ash (3.10±0.10), crude protein (22.46±0.02), crude fat (5.80±0.02), crude fibre (4.50±0.01), carbohydrate (55.00±0.50) and energy content (362.04Kcal/100g). The mineral composition (mg/100g) of bambara groundnut showed potassium with 1702.10±0.50 to be the highest followed by phosphorus (738.04±0.15), magnesium (347.15±0.01), calcium (256.56±0.05), sodium (135.30±0.05), iron (18.51±0.10) and manganese (10.46±0.05). The antinutrient composition in mg/100g revealed tannin to be (7.15±0.50), phytic acid (6.94±0.02) and trypsin inhibitor (1.56±0.10). The functional properties of the seed also showed foam capacity to be 28.62±0.02%, foam stability at 30 and 60 min to be 21.00±0.02 and 13.00±0.10% respectively while foaming height was 40.32±0.01cm3. The carbohydrate fractions of the seed (g/mg) showed the following pattern: reducing sugar 3.61±0.05, raffinose 0.35±0.01, stachyose 1.57±0.10 and starch 48.12±0.20. The results of this research work revealed that the seed has a potential for dietary improvement as functional agent in food industry.