Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access

Abstract

Improvement of the Nutritional Quality and the Energy Density of the Fermented Gruels Maize Used Like Complemented Food of Infant

Elenga Michel, Keleke Simon, Mananga Vital, Massamba Joachim, Kobawila Simon Charles, Mbemba François, Kinkela Thérèse and Silou Thomas

The goal of this present work is to improve nutritional quality of the maize gruels fermented by the addition with maize of groundnut seeds and, to increase the energy density of the gruels by incorporation of calcium malt and carbonate. The method consists of studying the effect of the addition of groundnut seeds, dried beforehand and peeled, at the time of the crushing of maize seeds soaked in the respective proportions of 25% and 75%. The given parameters are the content of proteins, lipids, ashes, fibres and glucids. The method also consists of studying the effect of the incorporation of calcium malt and carbonate on the gruels according to their content of dry matter. The given parameters are the consistency of the gruels (expressed in mm/30s) carried out thanks to the viscosimeter of Bostwick and the energy density determined by calculation and expressed in kcal/100 ml of gruel. The results obtained show an increase in the content of proteins of 6.62 g/100 g of MS for the traditional fermented maize dough with 12.44 g/100 g of MS for the dough improved resulting from the modified process and the content of lipids of 4.21 g/100 g from ms for the traditional dough with 15.73 g/100 g of MS for the improved dough resulting from the modified process. The results also show that the gruels obtained in absence of malt are viscous with a null rate of flow. On the other hand, the incorporation of malt at the rate of 2.4% in the presence of calcium carbonate made it possible to prepare gruels having a desirable consistency (120 mm/30s for a content of dry matter of approximately 21 g of MS/100 g of gruels). The modifications of the traditional process of production of the dough of maize fermented by carrying out the production of the dough containing maize and of groundnut and by carrying out the precooking and by preparing gruels in the presence of malt and carbonate involved a significant growth of the contents of proteins and lipids and made it possible to prepare gruels in conformity with the standards recommended. The maize-groundnut gruels present a better nutritional value and cause a ponderal catch for the rats. These results appear adapted within the framework of the fight against infantile malnutrition in the context of the local resources available.