Investigating the Impact of Sprouting on the Nutritional and Anti-nutritional Properties of Ogi Made from Yellow and White Maize Varieties

Abstract

Ogi, a popular traditional fermented maize gruel in Africa, is a staple food for millions of people for its nutritional value and versatility in culinary applications. This study investigated the effects of sprouting and fermentation on the nutritive quality of ogi produced from yellow and white maize varieties using standard methods analysis. The results showed significant improvements in the nutritional profile of sprouted ogi samples compared to unsprouted ones. The pro-vitamin A ranged from 26.17±0.02 to 31.24±0.03 in unsprouted yellow ogi and sprouted yellow ogi  (UYO and SYO) respectively. The corresponding values for the unsprouted white ogi (UWO) and sprouted white ogi (SWO) are 9.28±0.01 to 11.81±0.03. The protein content of SYO and SWO are 13.73±0.07and 12.02±0.06 respectively compared to UYO and UWO samples (12.33±0.56 and 10.22±0.07).Sample SYO  has the highest vitamin A content of 31.24 µg/100g followed by sample UYO which indicated higher amount of vitamin A content in yellow maize products (Samples UYO and SYO) could be attributed to the maize variety (yellow) containing higher amount of carotenoid compound, a pro-vitamin A. Notably, yellow maize ogi samples exhibited superior nutritional quality compared to white maize ogi samples. Sprouting and fermentation enhanced the bioavailability of nutrients, making ogi a more nutritious and wholesome food option. This study highlights the potential of simple processing techniques to improve the nutritional value of traditional foods, contributing to better nutrition and health outcomes in Africa.