Proximate, Mineral and An ti-nutrient Composition of Processed (Soaked and Roasted) Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) Seed nut

Abstract

This work investigated the Proximate, Mineral and Anti-nutrient Composition of Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) seed nuts, which were processed by roasting at 100oC for 15 min and soaking for 14days to remove the seed coats. The proximate analysis of the roasted and soaked samples revealed the values of crude protein, moisture, crude fat, crude fiber, ash and carbohydrate contents present to be 22.57%, 8.00%, 6.80%, 6.30%, 4.55%, 56.24% and 22.16%, 10.5%, 7.05%, 6.15%, 4.05%, and 56.24% respectively. The minerals present were K (1440.00), Mg (268.00), P (94.40), Na (40.16) and Fe (15.28) for the roasted sample and K (480.00), Mg (220.00), P (99.20), Na (38.24) and Fe (15.56) for the soaked sample in mg/100 g. Calcium content was not detected in both samples. The phytochemical analysis showed that the soaked T. indica registered significant reduction in tannin, phytate, and saponin when compared to the roasted sample, while the roasted sample showed significant reduction in trypsin and hydrogen cyanide content when compared to the soaked sample. The alkaloid content in both samples was (3.4%) and showed no significant (P>0.05) difference. The utilization of tamarind seed nut in food processing will clearly reduce the over-dependence on common legumes for protein especially in the developing countries like Nigeria.