Proximate and Anti-nutrient Compositions of Cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta): The Effect of Cooking and Dietary Palm Oil Treatments

Abstract

The influence of cooking and dietary palm oil on the nutrient and anti-nutrient contents of cocoyam was investigated. Cocoyam is ranked third in importance, and has been found to be nutritionally superior to cassava and yam due to its easily digestible starch and high protein, vitamins and mineral contents. There are heath concerns over the anti-nutritional contents of cocoyam which could lead to several ailments. The addition of palm oil, which contains healthy components, and cooking known to also reduce and inactivate some of these antinutrients would be carried out in this study. Four portions of healthy cocoyam were given different treatments and labeled A, B, C and D for uncooked raw (control 1), cooked without dietary palm oil (control 2), cooked with little dietary palm oil at ratio 1:5, cooked with much dietary palm oil at ratio 1:10 respectively. These portions were mashed for nutrient and anti-nutrient content analysis. The moisture contents of portion B was the highest (80.48%) compared to moisture content values recorded for other cocoyam portions. The ash content of the C portion was the highest (3.38%) followed by cocoyam portion D. Raw cocoyam had the highest carbohydrate (86.58%) and protein content (8.61%) while portion D had highest protein content amongst boiled cocoyam portions. The highest caloric value was recorded for the cocoyam portion D (444.75%). The raw portion had higher content values for all the anti-nutrients. Values recorded for anti-nutrient contents of the other cooked and cooked with oil additions cocoyam (B, C and D) portions were significantly reduced.