Process Variables Combination of Roasted African Breadfruit Seed Flour and the Essential Amino Acid Needs of Infants and Children Process Variables Combination of Roasted African Breadfruit Seed Flour and the Essential Amino Acid Needs of Infants and Children

Abstract

Infants and growing children require eight essential amino acids for healthy growth and well-being. The
amino acids must be at optimum values to satisfy their metabolic requirements. Breadfruit (v. Decne)
seed is a widely consumed legume in tropics and subtropical regions of the world. In Nigeria, it is staple
and an important source of dietary nutrients for adult, infants, and children. The study aimed to identify
the roasting conditions of temperature and time at 500 g seed quantity that would yield the optimum
contents of eight essential amino acids in flour incorporated into the diets of infants and growing
children for the alleviation of malnutrition among children. Experimental roasting used the factorial
design. The essential amino acids content of breadfruit seed flour of different treatment conditions was
determined using Technicon sequential multisample acid analysis. Results showed that both raw and
processed flour contained amino acids essential for infants and growing children. Analysis of amino
acids showed retention of the eight essential amino acids for infant and children. Roasting temperature
and roasting time had significant (P < 0.05) reductive effect on evaluated amino acids. Summation of
the evaluated amino acids showed average ranges of 22.56–25.61 g/16 gN, 17.14–23.86 g/16 gN, and
18.56–19.90 g/16 gN, respectively, for flour samples of seeds roasted at 140°C, 160°C, and 180°C at
35, 40, and 45 min. The low values of some essential amino acids evaluated indicated the detrimental
effect of higher temperature processing on African breadfruit seeds. Processing African breadfruit
seeds into at 140°C and 160°C for 35–45 min would flour of at least 76.92% of recommended dietary
allowance human. Results identified 140°C-40 min-500 g as the best process variables combination for
an adequate supply of essential amino acids in infant and children diets. Roasting severely depleted
the content of tryptophan of the evaluated flour samples. The flour of breadfruit (v. Decne) seeds is a
good source of amino acids supplement for infants and growing children which should be introduced
to mothers in developing nations.