Chemical Compositions of Fermented and Unfermented Seeds of Cissus populnea Obtained from Niger state, Nigeria

The chemical compositions of fermented (24 and 48 h) and unfermented seeds of Cissus populnea obtained from Niger State, Nigeria were determined using standard analytical methods. The % total essential amino acids ranged from 37.62±0.08 (unfermented) to 40.24±0.04 g/100g protein (fermented for 24 h), % total conditionally essential amino acids ranged from 23.36±0.10 (unfermented) to 25.65±0.05 (fermented for 24 h), while % total non-essential amino acids ranged from 34.10±0.07 (fermented for 24 h)to 39.03±0.12 (unfermented) g/100g protein. The food functional properties like the foaming capacities ranging from 1.82±0.12 (unfermented) to 6.05±0.10 % (fermented for 48 h), oil absorption ranged from 0.65±0.01 (unfermented) to 0.70±0.03 mg/g (fermented for 48 h) and water absorption ranged from 1.89±0.53 (fermented for 24 h) to 2.03±0.11 mg/g (unfermented), bulk densities ranged from 0.39±0.33 (fermented for 48 h) to 0.61±0.11 g/cm3 (unfermented), while swelling capacities ranged from 1.92±0.28 (fermented for 48 h) to 3.50±0.36 % (unfermented) and emulsification capacities ranged from 42.03±0.36 (unfermented) to 54.21±0.52 % (fermented for 48 h). The physicochemical parameters determined were also observed to decrease as the fermentation days increased. Food processing technologies for exploiting the utilisation of C. populnea flours both fermented and unfermented should be promoted.