Influence of Hydrothermal Treatments on Proximate Compositions of Fermented Locust Bean (Dawadawa)

Abstract

Seeds of locust bean ( Parkia biglobosa) were boiled for 12 h and soaked for 8 h and re-boiled for 1 h with the addition of potash as a softening agent and subjected to fermentation for 48 h. The unfermented and fermented (dawadawa) beans were then analyzed for proximate compositions. The results of the chemical analyses indicate that fermentation resulted in protein and lipid enrichment and a reduction in total carbohydrate. It was concluded that processing locust bean into dawadawa increases the key nutritional constituent, protein. This explains why dawadawa is commonly included in stews and soups as a substitute to animal protein among the low income earners in less developed and developing countries.