Easy method for removal of cyanogens from cassava leaves with retention of vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids

Abstract

Currently there is a crescent interest regarding the use of vegetable by-products for food fortification, in order to improve its nutritional quality. Cassava leaves are suitable as nutritional additives, however their cyanide content must be reduced to below 10 mg kg-1 of dry product. Thus, it was developed a method in drying laboratory oven which is able to reduce 99.85% of cyanide present in manioc leaves (from 35 mg kg-1 to 0.05 mg kg-1 ) while being 509% faster than the traditional method, and without substantial loss of omega-3 fatty acids and β-carotene.