Dietary Fiber And Starch Composition Of African Yam Bean (Sphenostylis sternocarpa), Maize (Zea mays) And Ginger (Zingiber officiale) Powders.

Ngwu, E.K1., Uneze, H2.Akubor,P3. and Sani, D1
1Department of Home Science, Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka,
2Department of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture
,Umudike, Nigeria.
3Department of Food Science and Technology,University of Nigeria, Nsukka

ABSTRACT
Background: The major constraint in planning therapeutic diets with local foods is the dearth of nutrition
information including dietary fibre and starch composition of local foods. This study determined the dietary fibre, starch, amylose and amylopectin contents of African yam bean (AYB), maize and ginger powders, and African yam bean gruel for their possible use in high dietary fibre confectioneries for diabetics, obese and overweight subjects.
Materials and Methods: Cream-coloured AYB seeds, white maize and fresh ginger roots were purchased
from Orba International Market, Udenu Local Government Area of Enugu State, Nigeria. The three crops were processed into powders and analysed for dietary fibre, starch, amylose and amylopectin contents using AOAC methods.
Results: The total dietary fibre contents ranged from 9.4% in maize to 17.3%in ginger. The AYB had total dietary fiber content of 12.5% of which 1.7% and 10.2% of it were soluble and insoluble dietary fibres, respectively. The insoluble dietary fibre content (9.2%) of maize powder was higher than the soluble dietary fibre (0.2%). The AYB gruel had the least starch content of 38% while maize powder had the highest starch content (65%). The amylose contents were 22% in ginger powder, 27% in AYB gruel, 29% in maize powder and 31% in AYB powder. The amylopectin contents were higher than the amylose contents for all the samples, values varied from 69 to 78%.
Conclusion: African yam bean, maize and ginger powders, and African yam bean gruel contained high
levels of dietary fibre. Their composite flours would have the potential of producing high dietary fibre
confectionaries for subjects with chronic diet related non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and
obesity.