ABSTRACT

 False Yam (Icacina trichantha) tubers were processed into different flour samples: The raw, steeped - sun - dried (SSD), steeped-ovendried (SOD), blanched-sun-dried (BSD) and blanched-oven-dried (BOD) samples. The nutritional composition, anti-nutritional factors, functional and pasting properties of the flour samples were studied. The lipid, protein, and carbohydrate contents of the samples ranged between 1.77-5.76%, 3.01-6.03%, and 85.56 - 93.31% respectively, while the energy values ranged between 394.27 - 412.46kca1. Concentration of potassium, sodium, calcium and iron, (among others) ranged between 20.835 - 31.510mg/I, 2.409 - 18.890mg/I, 90.250 - 112.550mg/I: and 0.777 - 2.840mg/I respectively. The anti-nutritional factors ranged between 0.231 - 0.520mg/bog for hydrogen cyanide; 167.200 - 256.900mg/bOg for total oxalate; 5.133 - 21.68mg/bOg for tanninn; 1.671 - 3.850mg/bOg phytate and 1.365 - 3.120mg/bog for alkaloids. The functional properties of the flour samples ranged between 72.50 - 78.50% for emulsion capacity; 1.00 - 4.80 for foaming capacity; 2.25 - 4.80% for water absorption capacity; 1.89 - 3.80% for oil absorption capacity; 16.92 - 40.91% starch; and 0.042 - 0.510% for nitrogen solubility. The pasting properties ranged between 40.00 - 84.85°C for gelatinization temperature (set); 58.50 - 93.85°C for gelatinization temperature (peak); 771.00 - 2000BU peak viscosity; 619.00 - 761.00BU set back viscosity; and 51.00 - 1240.00BU stability. False yam tuber apart from being a good source of energy for man, is rich in mineral elements (potassium, sodium and calcium), and some of the anti-nutritional factors where found to be below the lethal dose range for humans, while its functional and pasting properties showed that false yam flour may be useful in confectionary food system. Processing affected the levels of nutrients, anti-nutrients, functional and pasting properties of the flour samples.