Impact of Fermentation Duration on the Nutritional, Anti-Nutritional, and Functional Characteristics of Colocasia Esculenta.

This study investigated the effect of fermentation on the nutrient, anti-nutrient, and functional properties of cocoyam (Colocasia esculenta) flour at different time intervals. The tubers of Colocasia esculenta were processed and fermented at varying durations (24, 48, 72, and 96 hours), while an unfermented sample was retained as a control for comparative analysis. Subsequently, the fermented tubers were oven-dried at 65°C for 8 hours and milled into flour. Proximate composition, anti-nutritional factors and functional properties of the fermented and unfermented cocoyam flours were then evaluated. Results revealed an increase in Crude protein (15.11 to 19.81%) and carbohydrate levels (71.57 to 75.9%) with corresponding increase in fermentation time. While there was a reduction in moisture content (8.56 to 3.18%), crude fat (1.20 to 0.40%), fibre (0.73 to 0.21%) and ash content (2.87 to 0.49%) with corresponding increase in fermentation time. Anti-nutritional factors of fermented samples also reduced in a time-dependent manner. The result of the functional properties showed increase in water absorption capacity (0.27 to 0.87g/g), while a decrease was observed in bulk density (0.68 to 0.56g/ml), oil absorption capacity (3.47 to 1.04g/g), gelation temperature (85.35 to 83.92°C) and foaming capacity (15.54 to 9.52%). These changes suggest that fermentation can improve the nutritional quality and functionality of cocoyam flour, making it suitable for various food applications.