Phytochemical and antinutrient contents of toasted African breadfruit seeds (Treculia africana) as influenced by dehulling

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the phytochemical and antinutrient contents of toasted African breadfruit seeds. Fresh breadfruit seeds were parboiled for 15 min at 100°C, dehulled manually, winnowed to remove the hulls and toasted in a frying pan at 45°C for 15 min with constant stirring, during which the colour turned to light brown. Breadfruit seeds were washed, sorted, toasted as above and allowed to cool to room temperature before manual dehulling. Phytochemical and antinutrient content were analyzed. Results showed that undehulled toasted breadfruit seeds contain alkaloid (0.35%), saponin (0.87%), tannin (0.53%), flavonoid (0.42%), oxalate (0.67%), hydrogen cyanide (0.26%) and phytate (0.62%), while dehulled toasted contained 0.19%, 0.81%, 0.37%, 0.41%, 0.54%, 0.19% and 0.53% respectively. Phytochemical and nutrient contents of both toasted bread fruit seeds were less than toxicity levels and therefore safe for human consumption.

Keywords: African breadfruit seeds, phytochemical, antinutrient, toasting, dehulling