ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to determine the effects of different traditional cooking
methods on the nature of starch in some Nigerian starchy staples. The staples used were yam
(Dioscorea spp), cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta spp), cassava (Manihot esculenta
crantz),and plantain (Musa paradisiaca spp). Yam and plantain were cooked into boiled and
roasted forms. Cocoyam was prepared as cocoyam chips, while cassava was used to produce
cassava dough, tapioca, and cassava foo foo and gari paste. The proximate composition,
total starch and resistant starch were done using the approved methods. However, soluble
starch was obtained by difference. Determination of carbohydrate digestion was achieved
using Spectophometric procedure. The moisture content ranged from 21.04 % in roasted
white yam to 41.00%% in gari paste. The protein content of the staples was low; ranged from
0.55g/100g in cassava foo foo to 2.25g/100g in cassava dough. The fat, ash, and crude fibre
contents were also low. The boiled hybrid plantain ranked highest (3.01g) in fat, while
roasted local plantain had highest ash (4.20g) and crude fibre (3.30g) values. Roasted white
yam (Dioscorea spp) had highest carbohydrate 73.25g. Loss of moisture caused increases in
nutrient density.
Processing caused significant differences (P<0 .05="" different="" forms="" in="" of="" p="">some the foods .For example the protein content of roasted white yam was 4.29g/100g and
this was significantly different (P<0 .05="" and="" boiled="" both="" from="" g="" p="" raw="" the="">(2.72g/100g) samples, respectively). However, in cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) varieties
(esculenta var. esculenta,esculenta var. antiquorum (small corm) and esculenta var.
antiquorum (large corm)), processing caused no significant difference (P>0.05) in all the
proximate parameters except for esculenta var. antiquorum (large corm) where the crude
fibre content of cocoyam chips (3.08g) was significantly different (P<0 .05="" from="" p="" raw="">(0.6g).Total starch content of the carbohydrates ranged from 20.36g/00g in raw local plantain
to 50.95/100g in boiled water yam. The resistant starch content of the carbohydrates ranged
from 9.25g/100g in cassava dough to 32.15g/100g in boiled water yam. The resistant starch
content of carbohydrates was affected by heat. Processing increased the resistant starch,
solubility and digestibility of the carbohydrates. For example, the local plantain had resistant
starch of 20.65g/100g and 23.05g/100g for boiled and roasted samples as against the raw
This study was conducted to determine the effects of different traditional cooking
methods on the nature of starch in some Nigerian starchy staples. The staples used were yam
(Dioscorea spp), cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta spp), cassava (Manihot esculenta
crantz),and plantain (Musa paradisiaca spp). Yam and plantain were cooked into boiled and
roasted forms. Cocoyam was prepared as cocoyam chips, while cassava was used to produce
cassava dough, tapioca, and cassava foo foo and gari paste. The proximate composition,
total starch and resistant starch were done using the approved methods. However, soluble
starch was obtained by difference. Determination of carbohydrate digestion was achieved
using Spectophometric procedure. The moisture content ranged from 21.04 % in roasted
white yam to 41.00%% in gari paste. The protein content of the staples was low; ranged from
0.55g/100g in cassava foo foo to 2.25g/100g in cassava dough. The fat, ash, and crude fibre
contents were also low. The boiled hybrid plantain ranked highest (3.01g) in fat, while
roasted local plantain had highest ash (4.20g) and crude fibre (3.30g) values. Roasted white
yam (Dioscorea spp) had highest carbohydrate 73.25g. Loss of moisture caused increases in
nutrient density.
Processing caused significant differences (P<0 .05="" different="" forms="" in="" of="" p="">some the foods .For example the protein content of roasted white yam was 4.29g/100g and
this was significantly different (P<0 .05="" and="" boiled="" both="" from="" g="" p="" raw="" the="">(2.72g/100g) samples, respectively). However, in cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) varieties
(esculenta var. esculenta,esculenta var. antiquorum (small corm) and esculenta var.
antiquorum (large corm)), processing caused no significant difference (P>0.05) in all the
proximate parameters except for esculenta var. antiquorum (large corm) where the crude
fibre content of cocoyam chips (3.08g) was significantly different (P<0 .05="" from="" p="" raw="">(0.6g).Total starch content of the carbohydrates ranged from 20.36g/00g in raw local plantain
to 50.95/100g in boiled water yam. The resistant starch content of the carbohydrates ranged
from 9.25g/100g in cassava dough to 32.15g/100g in boiled water yam. The resistant starch
content of carbohydrates was affected by heat. Processing increased the resistant starch,
solubility and digestibility of the carbohydrates. For example, the local plantain had resistant
starch of 20.65g/100g and 23.05g/100g for boiled and roasted samples as against the raw
