Agricultural Journal

Year: 2010
Volume: 5
Issue: 5
Page No. 297 - 302

Nutritive Value of Nigerian Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.)

Authors : R.C. Ekeanyanwu and C.I. Ononogbu

Abstract: The proximate, mineral, vitamin and amino acids composition of tigernut (Cyperus esculentus) flour were determined using standard analytical techniques. The physicochemical characteristics of the oil were also investigated. The proximate composition of the raw tubers was crude protein (8.07±0.37%), crude fat (24.3±0.58%), crude fiber (24.0±1.58%), ash (1.80±0.10%) and carbohydrate (30.0%) while that of the roasted tubers was crude protein (6.80±0.89%), crude fat (25.2±0.10%), crude fiber (23.3±0.58%), ash (1.78±0.10%) and carbohydrate (31.7%). The minerals (mg/100 g) of the raw tubers included sodium (34.13±1.53), calcium (100.0±2.65), iron (4.12±0.10), zinc (3.98±0.31), potassium (486.0±59.9), magnesium (94.4±1.28), copper (0.92±0.05), manganese (0.26±0.01) and phosphorus (219.0±10.0). The roasted tubers on the other hand contained (mg/100 g) sodium (34.1±1.44), calcium (99.9±2.86), iron (4.11±0.26), zinc (3.96±0.50), magnesium (96.0±0.68), copper (0.88±0.15), manganese (0.30±0.02) and phosphorus (217.0±12.1). The vitamins (mg/100 g) in the raw tubers included vitamin A (0.21±0.01), vitamin C (7.30±0.97), vitamin D (0.42±0.02) and vitamin E (0.21±0.01) while the roasted tuber contained vitamin A (0.20±0.01), vitamin C (4.59±0.09), vitamin D (0.41±0.01) and vitamin E (0.57±0.10). Amino acid analysis revealed that tigernut flour contained nutritionally important essential amino acids though in small quantities. The first and second limiting amino acids were leucine (0.07) and lysine (0.08).

How to cite this article:

R.C. Ekeanyanwu and C.I. Ononogbu, 2010. Nutritive Value of Nigerian Tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.). Agricultural Journal, 5: 297-302.

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