AICAID CONFERENCE PRESENTATION. UGA ATHENS, US. 2015.

1. Chemical and Sensory Quality of Quality
Protein maize (Zea mays), Defatted
Fluted Pumpkin seed(Telfairia
occidentalis) and African Walnut
(Tetracarpidium conophorum) Based
Weaning food
Adedokun, Olufemi Adebayo (Ph.D)
(Federal University of Technology, Akure,
Nigeria.)

2. .
INTRODUCTION
 By the time this day is over 40,000 children will have died from
hunger, malnutrition, and related causes all over the world
especially in sub-Saharan African countries (Gulati, 2010; IAEA
bulletin, 1994).
 Under nutrition is one of the major problems confronting infants
and young children in the developing countries. It has been
reported that poor nutrition during childhood can have
detrimental effects on growth and cognitive development;
decrease activity levels, and affect social functioning (UNICEF,
1998; Ijarotimi and Keshinro, 2013).
 Thus, in a weaning process there is always the need to
introduce soft, easily swallowed foods to supplement the
infant’s feeding early in life (Laminu et al., 2011; Okwute and
Olafiyi, 2013).
 This period is very crucial in the life of infants promoting child
nutrition and survival as children are vulnerable to malnutrition
during this stage (Akeredolu et al, 2005).
 Complementary foods in most developing countries are mainly
from cereal with animal protein being used as supplement. As
a result of the high cost of animal protein, attempts were
shifted to look into alternative sources of proteins, especially

3. •The traditional complementary foods used in Nigeria have been reported to be
grossly inadequate when compared with the estimated nutritional needs of an
infants (Ikujenlola and Adurotoye, 2014). The most popular complementary
food fed to infants in Nigeria is a fermented cereal gruel called ‘pap’, ‘akamu’ or
‘ogi’ which is generally perceived by mothers as easy to be digested (Onofiok
and Nnanyelugo, 1998; Ibeanu and Okeke, 2001).
•The formulation and development of nutritious complementary foods from
locally and readily available raw materials (e.g Maize, Sorghum, etc) has received
a lot of attentions in Nigeria (Nnam, 2002; Ikujenlola, 2004).
•Quality protein maize is an improved variety of maize which contains higher
amount of lysine and tryptophan with lower amount of Leucine and Isoleucine in
the endosperm than those contained in common maize which are necessary for
protein synthesis in humans (CIMMYT). (Ojofeitimi, 2008).
•Fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) is playing an important role in human
nutrition. According to Oyolu (1978), the leaves and edible shoots together
contain 85% moisture, and the dry portion of what is usually consumed contains
11% crude protein, 25% carbohydrate, 3% oils, 11% ash and as much as
700mg/kg of iron. This high level of iron seems to provide a basis for the folklore
that Telfairia leaf extract is administered as a blood tonic to convalescent

4.  Tetracarpidium conophorum (family Euphorbiaceae) is found
in Nigeria and Cameroon while Coula edulis (family
Olacaceae) which is also referred to as African walnut is
found in Congo, Gabon and Liberia. This plant is cultivated
principally for the nuts which are cooked and consumed as
snacks (Oke, 1995).
 As investigated by Okafor (1991) and Udeala et al (1984), the
fruits yield 47.72% crude protein and 50% fats and oils
(Conophor oil) which are of domestic and industrial
importance for soap making, vanish and paints.
 The combination of quality protein maize, fluted pumpkin
seed and conophor nut have not been explored as a
complementary food meant for infants. It is believed that this
combination should offer a good protein base diet that will
satisfy the nutritional requirement of growing infants by
maintaining their health and development.

5. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
The objectives of the research are to;
 Determine the nutrient compositions of complementary foods
formulated from Quality protein maize, Conophor nuts and fluted
pumpkin seed;
 determine physico chemical properties and safety of the
complementary diets; and
 assess the acceptability of the formulated diets using sensory
evaluation.

6. 6
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Materials
 Quality Protein Maize
Conophor Nuts (Tetracarpidium conophorum)
Fluted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) seeds

7. Sources of Materials
 Quality Protein Maize (ART 98/SW1) was obtained from Institute of
Agriculture, Research and Training (IAR&T) Moor Plantation Apata, Ibadan.
 Conophor Nuts and Fluted Pumpkin seeds were obtained from a local
market in Ibadan, Nigeria.
7

8. 8
Quality Protein Maize
Washing
Steeping (1.5 kg in 3 Litres of water for 3 days)
Decanting
Washing
Wet milling (Ogi slurry)
Sieving (Muslin cloth)
Draining
Drying (50o
C for 48 h)
Milling of Ogi cake
packaging
Fermented Quality Protein maize flour (QPM ogi)
Fig 1: Flow chart for production of Ogi from Quality Protein Maize

9. 9
Conophor nut Raw Seed
Dehulling
Boiling
Draining
Cooling
Drying (50o
C) until it is bone dry
Milling (200 µm mesh size)
Packaging (full fat conophor flour)
Defatting(using n-hexane for 8 h)
oven drying
Milling
Sieving
Packaging
Defatted Conophor nut flour
Fig. 2: Flow chart for production of Defatted Conophor seed flour

10. 10
10
Fluted Pumpkin Raw Seed
Dehulling
Boiling
Draining
Cooling
Drying (50o
C)
Milling (200 µm mesh size)
Packaging (full fat fluted pumpkin flour)
Defatting(using n-hexane for 8 h)
drying
Packaging
Defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour
Fig. 3: Flow chart for production of Defatted fluted pumpkin seed flour

11. Table 1 Complementary Diets formulation
Quantity (%) QPM Defatted
conophor
nut flour
Defatted
fluted
pumpkin
flour
Total
A 100 - - 100
B 76 12 12 100
Code: A – Quality protein Maize, B – Quality protein maize, Defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted
pumpkin flour,

12. 12
Proximate composition:
The proximate composition of the diet (moisture, Total ash, crude fat, crude
protein, crude fibre) was determined using AOAC, 2005 method. The
carbohydrate was estimated by difference.
Physico-chemical properties of the diet
Water absorption capacity was determined as described by Solsulski (1962), Oil
Absorption capacity was determined as described by Solsulski et al ., (1976), Bulk
density was determined as described by Rao (1984), and reconstitution index as
described by Osundahunsi and Aworh (2003).
Energy Value: Atwater factor was used to estimate the Energy value of the
diets according to Oke and Ojofeitimi (1984)

13. 13
SENSORY QUALITY
Sensory Quality was determined by using method described by Larmond, 1994.
The samples were rated on the following attributes, that is, colour, aroma, taste,
consistency and overall acceptability using a 9-point hedonic scale range from
“like extremely” (9) to “dislike extremely” (1)

14. Table 2 Proximate composition of formulated diets and control samples (g/100g dry
basis)
A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, *
values with different
superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)
Sample
Diet
Moisture Crude
protein
Total ash Crude Fat Carbohydrat
e
Crude
Fiber
Energy (Kcal)
A 8.20 a
±0.51 9.00b
±0.50 0.61b
±0.03 4.22a
±0.20 76.68a
±1.20 1.17 b
±0.12 380.70 a
±0.12
B 8.79a
±0.51 18.02a
±0.80 0.81a
±0.03 3.22b
±0.40 69.16b
±1.51 2.39a
±0.12 377.70a
±0.12

15. Table 3 Functional Properties of the formulated diets and control
Samples
SAMPLE Water absorption
capacity (WAC) (g/g)
Oil absorption
capacity (OAC) (g/g)
Bulk density(g/ml)
packed
Reconstitution index
(ml)
A
B
3.20a
±0.02
2.40b
±0.02
2.10b
±0.02
3.00a
±0.02
0.66a
±0.02
0.56b
±0.01
97.60a
±0.01
96.80a
±0.01
A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12,
*
values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

16. Table 4: Microbiological Quality of Complementary Diets
Sample
I.D
Total Bacterial
Counts
(Cfug-1
)
Total
Coliform
counts
(Cfug-1
)
Total fungi
counts
(Cfug-1
)
Staphylococcus
aureus count
(Cfug-1
)
Escherichia
coli count
(Cfug-1
)
Salmonella
count (Cfug-1
)
Shigella
count
(Cfug-1
)
A 1.1 X 105b
NG NG 1.0 X 104a
NG NG NG
B 1.3 X 105a
NG NG 1.0 X 104a
NG NG NG
A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, NG- no growth
*
values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

17. Table 5 Sensory quality of formulated diets and
control samples
Product Colour Aroma Taste Consistency Overall acceptability
A 6.75a
7.00a
5.30b
7.30a
6.70a
B 7.00a
7.00a
6.80a
7.30a
6.70a
A- Fermented Quality protein maize, B – Quality protein maize, defatted conophor nut flour and defatted fluted pumpkin flour 76:12:12, NG- no growth
*
values with different superscripts on the same column are significantly different (p<0.05)

18. 18
Conclusion
The formulation used in this study successfully produced a high protein-energy food
with acceptable physico-chemical properties. The addition of fluted pumpkin and
conophor nuts to quality protein maize showed a remarkable improvement in the
protein content (9.00%-18.02%).
This product will be valuable for growing infant during weaning period and is
capable of reducing malnutrition among infants in the developing countries.

19. 19
Thank
You
for
Listening