Production and Evaluation of Amino Acid Profile of Complementary Food Made from Pap and Enriched with “otujo ant” Zonocerus variegatus (Edible Grasshopper)

Abstract

Background: Pap “akamu” is a traditional fermented complementary food and popular street food from Nigeria, typically made from maize, sorghum, guinea corn or millet. Studies have shown that pap is inadequate in nutrient hence the addition of the edible grasshopper which will help to boost the protein content for growth and development in the formulated complementary food. The thrust of this work was to evaluate the amino acid profile of pap enriched with “otujo” edible grasshopper.  Aim: The study aimed to evaluate the amino acid profile of complementary food made from pap and enriched with “otujo ant” (edible grasshopper). Method: The Zonocerus variegatus “otujo” sample was caught in Iwollo village in Ezeagu Local Government Area, Enugu State, Nigeria. Approximately, 250g of “otujo” were roasted for 30 mins and dried in a cabinet drier at 30oC for 1 hours with occasional turning to ensure uniform drying. The dried “otujo” was dried-milled using an electric blender. Two and half kilograms of maize was prepared by the traditional wet milling process of sub-merged fermentation. The wet pap was packaged in a zip lock and stored in a freezer for further use. Standard methods were employed to determine the protein quality of the enriched pap samples.  Results: The total amino acids were between 71.96-136.89%, total essential amino acids were between 24.94-670.17% and total non-essential amino acids ranged from 45.26-76.72%. The study demonstrated that enriching pap with otujo significantly improved its protein content and quality. The otujo-enriched pap provided a more balanced amino acid profile, with higher levels of essential amino acids such as lysine, methionine, and leucine, which are often limited in plant-based foods like pap. Conclusion: Conclusively, enriching pap with “otujo ant” lead to an increase in the amino acid profile of the blend, hence a vehicle for the prevention of protein-energy malnutrition. The findings suggest that pap enriched with otujo could be a valuable food option in regions facing nutritional challenges. It can serve as a tool to combat protein-energy malnutrition, particularly in Africa where pap is widely consumed as complementary food.