Effect of uncontrolled fermentation and soaking on antinutrients of Tacca leontopetaloides (L) Kuntze (Taccaceae) tuber flour

Abstract

Soaking and fermentation are two food technologies that are used by households or agro-industrial establishments. These practices aim at improving food nutritional acceptability and sensorial parameters. Tacca leontopetaloides tuber was used to study alleviation of antinutrients by solubilization and leaching through soaking, or by enzymatic degradation through fermentation. Soaking has lasted 72 hrs, and fermentation 48 hrs. Chemical methods have been used to determinate antinutrient levels in processed and unprocessed T. leontopetaloides tubers slices. A statistical analysis by means of XLSTAT was purchased for principal components and correlations between variables. Results show that the major antinutrients have exhibited resistance to microbial enzymes during fermentation or to solubilization in water. Levels of most antinutrients have increased instead of lowering when tacca tuber slices were soaked or fermented. The increase of components during soaking and fermentation is linked to the decrease of soluble components in T. leontopetaloides slices. Phytate is an antinutrient which resists to both food technologies, and saponins can be leached by 43.4 % through soaking or by 50.7 % during fermentation. These powerful antinutrients in T. leontopetaloides tuber necessitate food technologies combinations to eliminate them. Further investigations are necessary to succeed in antinutrient levels alleviation in T. leontopetaloides tuber.