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Cultivation and use of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocaipa) in the Volta Region of Ghana
G. Y. P. KIu 1, H. M. Amoatey1, D. Bansa1 and F. K. Kumaga2
1 Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute
Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, P O Box AE5O Atomic Energy, Accra, Ghana
2 Department of Crop Science, University of Ghana, P O Box
LG44, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Abstract
The African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hochst ex A. Rich) is a leguminous crop found in the Volta Region of Ghana. Three expeditions were undertaken in the region between September 1998 and March 1999 to investigate the extent of cultivation and use of the bean as the basis for research into its development and promotion as a major crop. Its cultivation is currently localized around Nkwanta and Ho West Districts. It is grown as a minor crop in mixed association with yam and cassava. It is used extensively in various dietary preparations and has potential for supplementing the protein requirements of many families throughout the year. Its current low status as a minor crop means that this potential is largely unexploited. Research efforts are required to improve its agronomic characteristics and promote its cultivation and use as a major crop.
Key words: African yam bean, food security, Ghana, legume, pulse, Sphenostylis stenocarpa, under-exploited crop
The effect of chemical treatment on life broilers before slaughter and slaughter conditions on microbial quality and shelf life of broiler meat
Thomas Junne Kaudia
Special Foods International Ltd.
P.O. Box 7160, Nairobi. Kenya.
Abstract
In this study, effect of chemical treatment (surface and oral) using chlorine and TH4 of life broilers before slaughter and slaughter conditions on bacterial and keeping quality of broiler meat was investigated. The objectives were to improve both bacterial and keeping quality of broiler meat and to identify critical control points in processing of broilers. Nine hundred and sixty mature broilers with 1.5kg average life weight were used. It was found that dipping/spraying and oral treatments reduced the number of contaminating bacteria on the surface of life broilers. Oral treatment however, resulted in lower bacterial contamination after evisceration and washing compared to dipping and spraying. A combination of dipping/spraying and oral treatments were found to be the best in reducing bacterial contamination on the surface of dressed broiler carcasses.
The shelf life varied between 24 and 96 hours at 4º C and 6 to 24 hours at 25º C. Surface chemical treatment resulted in the increase in shelf life with oral treatment giving the highest increase in shelf life.
Broilers slaughtered at farm level had the highest bacterial contamination with shortest shelf life. It was concluded that chemical treatment of life broilers at the farm before slaughter improves both the bacterial quality and extends shelf life of broiler meat. Slaughtering broilers at farm level using unskilled labour results in heavy bacterial contamination and lowering of shelf life of broiler meat.
Key Hazard Analysis and critical Control points in processing of broilers are slaughter environment, slaughter technique, method used to control bacterial contamination on life birds, storage temperature and technical capacities of workers.
Key Words: Chemical, broiler meat, microbial quality, slaughter, and shelf life.
Country-wine making from eembe fruit (Berchemia discolor) of Namibia
1 S. Barrion, 2E.L Keya*, and 2T.N. Ngwira
1 University of Pretoria
2 Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources, University
of Namibia
P/Bag 13301, Windhoek
*Corresponding Author
Abstract
Country-wine was made from dried Eembe fruit purchased from Katima Mulilo open market using commercial wine yeast. The fruit produced a wine with 8.6% alcohol content when no sugar was added. Fermentation to produce the wine was carried out at 22ºC. The clarity, aroma, colour and acceptability of the wine was aided by the addition of sulphur dioxide. The addition of sugar to the must produced from the dried fruit increased the alcohol content of the wine and all the batches produced dry wine.
Microbiological quality of locally fermented milk (nono) and fermented milk-cereal mixture (fura da nono) drink in Bauchi, a Nigerian city
A. A. Adebesin, N. A. Amusa, and S. O. Fagade
1Department of Science Laboratory Technology, Federal
Polytechnic, Ede. Osun State.
2 Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Obafemi
Awolowo University, Moor Plantation, PMB 5029 Ibadan, Nigeria. 3
Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Ibadan
Nigeria.
Abstract
Fura da nono, fura and nono samples obtained from three areas in Bauchi metropolis were analysed to determine their microbial quality, the moisture content, pH and titratable acidity. The analysed samples were found contaminated with coliforms. The identified bacterial isolates from the products were Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus luteus, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sp, Streptococcus sp, Bacilus cereus and Lactobacillus sp. The fungal isolate includes yeast Sacharomyces cerevisae and mold species of Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus nigricans. The average microbial load of bacteria isolates from the samples ranges between 3.0 -4.7 x 104 acfu/ml., for fungal isolates it ranges between 1.0x104 to 2.9x104 cfu/ml and yeast counts from 0.0 x104 cfu/ml in fura to 5.3 x104 cfu/ml in fura da nono.
Key words: Microbiological quality, nono, fura da nono, molds
Effect of processing on the physicochemical and organoleptic properties of imitation milk from cowpea/maize blends
1Sonowola O. A. and 2Ashaye O. A*
1Federal College of Agriculture PMB 5029 Moor plantatio
Ibadan.
2Institute of Agriculture Research and Training PMB 5029 Moor
plantation Ibadan
* corresponding author
Abstract
A method for the preparation of cowpea and cowpea-maize was described. Cowpea-maize milk was prepared at 10% (10g cowpea+90g maize), 20% (20g cowpea+ 80g maize) and 40% (40g cowpea + 60g maize) on wet matter basis. Yield percent extracted cowpea-maize milk ranges from (90-99.44%) and compares favourably with cowpea milk (94.87%).
There was a spontaneous decrease in the level of colloidal particles in the samples. Protein (17.45%), ash (3.60%), Ca (0.25%) and K (0.95%) of cowpea milk was significantly higher than other samples.
Organoleptic properties indicate that cowpea milk was significantly higher than other samples in taste and texture. There was also no significant difference in all the milk samples at (p<0.05%) in colour and general acceptability.
Nutritional and rheological evaluation of West African Soft cheese made from plant coagulant (Calotropis procera) during storage
Belewu M. A.
Ruminant Nutrition and Dairy Science Laboratory
Department of Animal production, University of Ilorin, Kwara
State, Nigeria
Abstract
Storage of West African soft cheese “Waranski” for up to 15 weeks in a refrigerator was examined for the composition, protein fractions (non casein nitrogen, non protein nitrogen, casein nitrogen, total nitrogen) hardness, cohesiveness gumminess, elasticity, chewiness, adhesiveness and pH. Whereas cheese hardness, gumminess, elasticity, chewiness and adhesiveness decreased as the storage day progressed, the protein fractions (NCN, NPN, CN, and total nitrogen) increased slightly. Each of the textural measurement correlated significantly (p<0.05) with the pH. The correlation coefficient (0.68) indicates that increased total nitrogen content and pH will result in higher cheese hardness, gumminess and adhesiveness. It is then cocluded from this study that the quality control system of west African Soft cheese could be based on the rheological measurement.
Key words: west African soft cheese, casein nitrogen, protein fractions and rheological properties.
Abbrev. NCN - Non Casein nitrogen, CN= casein nitrogen, NPN - Non protein nitrogen
Inter-cropping and population density effects on yield component, seed quality and photosynthesis of sorghum and soybean
Elijah M. Akunda
Department of Botany, University of Nairobi
P.O. Box 30197, Nairobi-Kenya
Abstract
Population density and intercropping of sorghum {sorghum bicolour (L) and Soybean {Glycine max Merril (L)} may alter their growth and yield patterns through responses to light and physiological attributes as compared to their performance in standard densities and monocultures. There is limited field information on this hypothesis. Thus the objective of this study was to determine the influence of intercropping and population density on protein and oil yield components, photosynthesis of sorghum and Soybean at the canopy closure. The study was conducted at the University of Nairobi farm during the long rains. There was a significant increase in the number of Soybean pods per plant between the low density and normal density populations followed by a decline at high plant populations. Whereas population density increased the protein seed yield of Soybean, intercropping hardly altered it. In contrast, both population density and intercropping significantly decreased Soybean seed oil content. The observed protein and oil content is explained by the photosynthetic responses of partial shaded and fully exposed leaves. There was a significant decrease and increase of Soybean photosynthetic rates of both non-shaded and partially shaded leaves respectively within the intercrops, whereas population density caused a significant decline in non-shaded and partially shaded leaves. The interactive effects between population density and intercropping caused an increase in percent Soybean seed protein and decreases in its percent oil content and photosynthetic rates of partially shaded sorghum and Soybean leaves. These results demonstrate that population density and intercropping may be a viable alternative of manipulating the productivity of these crops through their changes in physiological processes.
Key words: Population density, intercropping, Soybean, sorghum, yield components, photosynthesis percent protein and oil yields.
Chemical and nutritional properties of `tej', an indigenous Ethiopian honey wine: variations within and between production units.
Bekele Bahiru1 , Tetenike Mehari2 , Mogessie Ashenafi3*
1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Science
2 Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science
3 Institute of Pathobiology
Addis Ababa University, P.O.Box 1176, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
*Corresponding author
Abstract
A total of 200 samples of `tej', an indigenous Ethiopian honey wine, were collected from ten production units at different production times. The pH values of samples varied between 3.07 and 4.90 and 77% of the samples had pH values <4.0. Difference in pH value among all samples was significant (p<0.01). The range for titratable acidity was 0.1 g/l00ml to 1.03 g/l00ml and mean values for the different production units were 0.34 - 0.6 g/l00ml. About 65% of the samples had titratable acidity values of >=4 g/l00ml and variations within samples of production units (CV>10%) or among all samples (p<0.01) were significant. Mean total alcohol content for the various production units was 6.98% -10.9%. About 58% of the samples had alcohol content of 5 - 10%. Fusel oil content of samples ranged between 0.1 g/l00L and 88 g/l00L. Mean values for the production units were 13.6 - 27.4 g/l00L. About 50% of the samples had fusel oil content of >20 g/l00L. Variation in total alcohol and fusel oil content within samples of production units was significant (CV>l0%) and difference in these values were also significant (p<0.0l). Mean values for total carbohydrate, total lipid, total protein and reducing sugars were 1.49-3.73 mg/ml, <1.00 mg/ml, 0.33-4.66 mg/ml and 0.46-2.09 mg/ml, respectively. Variations in these values within samples of production units (CV>l0%) or among all samples (p<0.0l) were significant. As `tej' fermentation is a spontaneous process that depends on microflora naturally present on the substrates and equipment, the different metabolic products of the randomized microflora at different stages, the physical and chemical environment, duration of fermentation and concoction practices would result in physico-chemical variations in the final product.