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Nutritional quality of the traditionally cooked Zamnè, a wild legume and a delicacy in Burkina Faso : assessment of the process effectiveness and the properties of cooking alkalis

Authors
  • Drabo, Moustapha
  • Abraha, Habtu Shumoy
  • De Meulenaer, Bruno
  • Savadogo, Aly
  • Raes, Katleen
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2024
Source
Ghent University Institutional Archive
Keywords
Language
English
License
Green
External links

Abstract

Zamne is a wild legume and a famine food that attracts interest for its health benefits and has become a delicacy in Burkina Faso. This study aimed to determine the nutritional quality of the traditionally cooked Zamne, appreciate the effectiveness of the traditional cooking process, and compare the properties of the traditionally used cooking alkalis (i.e., potash or plant ash leachate and sodium bicarbonate). Yet, as shown, the traditional cooking of Zamne is a very aggressive process that results in high disintegration of cell walls and membranes and leaching of most water-soluble constituents and nutrients (i.e., free amino acids, soluble nitrogen, sugars, soluble dietary fibers, and soluble phenolics). In addition, the extensive boiling and the cooking alkalis induced the sequestration of calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, significantly impairing their bioaccessibility. Despite the difference in the modus operandi of the cooking alkalis, there was no significant difference in the cooking outcomes. The traditionally cooked Zamne presented high dietary protein (4.8 g), lipid (3.3 g), fiber (6.7-7.7 g), and metabolizable energy (63-65 kcal) contents (per 100 g fresh weight). Most antinutritional factors (i.e., non-protein nitrogen, tannins, and trypsin inhibitors) were eliminated. The proteins were relatively well preserved despite the aggressive alkaline processing. They demonstrated an appreciable digestibility (75%) and predicted PER (1.5) and a fairly balanced essential amino acid composition - which should completely meet the requirements for adults. The lipid content and composition were also well preserved and contained predominantly linoleic (C18:2n-6), oleic (C18:1c9), stearic (C18:0), and palmitic (C16:0) acids (33, 34, 10, and 15% total fatty acids, respectively). Overall, though extensive alkaline cooking seems a straightforward option to overcome the hard-to-cook problem of Zamne, processing alternatives might be useful to reduce nutrient losses, improve the digestibility of the final product, and capture its full nutritional value. Zamne is a wild legume and famine food that attracts interest for its health benefits and has become a delicacy in Burkina Faso. This study describes its nutritional properties and investigates the traditional alkaline cooking process effectiveness.

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