Effect of cowpea flour processing on the chemical properties and acceptability of a novel cowpea blended maize porridge

Effect of Cowpea and Pumpkin Powders on the Physicofunctional Properties, Total Phenolic Content, Antioxidant Activity, and Consumer Acceptability of Soup

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima) play a pivotal role as affordable, nutritious food sources for humans. Low-income households can significantly benefit from supplementing their diet with nutritious and cost-effective locally available ingredients. The aim of this research was to develop a cost-effective soup formulation using ingredients that are readily available from a household garden and suitable for use in the kitchens of families with limited financial resources. The effect of cowpea and pumpkin powders on physicofunctional properties, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity (AA), and consumer acceptability of the soup were determined. Three composite soup mixes were prepared using various parts of cowpea and pumpkin at a ratio of 1:1. A control soup sample was developed, and the experimental soups were prepared by supplementing the control soup with 5%, 10%, or 15% of each composite soup mix, respectively. The physical properties, functional properties, TPC, AA, and consumer acceptability of soup were determined. The control soup had an appealing golden brown colour. Formulations 1 and 3 showed the highest relative viscosity (80.67-88.91 cP). All the experimental soup formulations had higher rehydration ratios (8-14.7 g/g) and water absorption capacities of 185.7-263.3 g/g compared to the control at 7.7 g/g and 65.7 g/g, respectively. The TPC of Formulation 2 (F2) (0.32-0.54 mg of gallic acid equivalent (GAE)/100 g powder) and Formulation 3 (F3) (0.54-0.63 mg GAE/100 g powder) was higher than Formulation 1 (F1) (0.25-0.32 mg GAE/100 g powder) and the control (0.44 mg GAE/100 g powder). Overall, the cowpea seed powder plus pumpkin fruit powder added at 10% in F2 appeared nearly optimal as a soup mix. It produced an attractive golden brown soup with increased swelling power (SP) and viscosity to assist in swallowing. Soup F1 and F2 scored high in appearance (7.27 and 7.0), aroma (7.1 and 6.7), taste (6.6 and 6.3), and overall acceptability (6.5 and 6.4). Despite having TPC and AA lower compared to F3, F2 containing 15% cowpea seed powder and pumpkin fruit has the potential to be further developed and commercialised due to the relatively high overall consumer acceptability and high acceptability in all sensory attributes.

Production, acceptability, nutritional and pasting properties of orange-flesh sweet potato, cowpea and banana flour mix

Promoting the intake of foods rich in vitamin A is key to combating the increase in vitamin A deficiency. This research focused on the utilization of orange-fleshed sweet potatoes (a tuber-based food), cowpea (a pulse), and ripe bananas (a fruit) for the production of flour mix as a means to reduce Vitamin A deficiency in children. Different ratios of sweet potato-cowpea-banana (PCB) mix, resulting in 8 different blended samples, were optimized. The flour mix was evaluated for its overall acceptability, vitamin A content, beta-carotene, and other nutritional and functional properties. The panelists rated the sweet potato-cowpea banana blends labeled PCB8 (60% OFSP, 30% cowpea, 5% ripe banana flour, and 5% sugar) as most preferred and acceptable with average scores of 8.96 points for color, 8.75 points for flavor, 8.88 points for appearance, 8.33 points for taste, 8.07 points for texture, and 8.39 points for overall acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale. The vitamin A and beta-carotene contents ranged 7.62 to 8.35 mg/100 g and 0.15-0.17 mg/100 g for all blends. A significant difference in the functional properties of the flour mix were observed with an increase in the ratio of sweet potato flour addition. Findings from this study show that the flour mix PCB4 (65% sweet potato, 30% cowpea, and 5% ripe banana flour) was acceptable (8.15) and is recommended based on its vitamin A content (8.35 mg/100 g), nutritional properties, and functional properties. The study showed that locally available food commodities have good nutritional value that will help reduce vitamin A deficiency in children.

Evaluation of the Physical, Chemical, Technological, and Sensorial Properties of Extrudates and Cookies from Composite Sorghum and Cowpea Flours

In recent years, there has been a growing demand for gluten-free and functional products, driven by consumer preferences for healthier and more diverse food choices. Therefore, there is a need to explore new ingredients that can be used as alternatives to traditional gluten-containing grains. Thus, this work evaluated the physical, chemical, technological, and sensorial properties of extrudates and cookies from composite tannin sorghum (rich in resistant starch) and white cowpea flours. Extrudates and cookies were produced from a composite flour made of sorghum and cowpea, at a sorghum:cowpea flour ratio of 70:30, 50:50, and 30:70. Then, raw flours, cookies, and extrudates were characterized (dietary fiber, resistant starch, proteins, antioxidant capacity, pasting properties, etc.). Results obtained for particle size distribution and bulk density indicated that the particles increased and the color changed with the addition of cowpea flour. The raw tannin sorghum flour had a higher resistant starch concentration (36.3%) and antioxidant capacity (211.2 µmolTE/g), whereas cowpea flour had higher levels of proteins (18.7%) and dietary fiber (20.1%). This difference in the raw flour composition contributed to the nutritional value of the extrudates and cookies, especially the cookies which undergo dry heat and had higher retention of resistant starch and antioxidants. Moreover, sorghum flour presented a higher tendency to retrograde (high setback), which was decreased by the addition of cowpea flour. Overall acceptance and intention to purchase were higher for extrudates with 100% sorghum flour (6.52 and 68.3%, respectively) and cookies with 70% cowpea flour (7.03 and 76.7%, respectively). Therefore, nutritious and functional gluten-free extrudates and cookies, of good acceptability, can be produced from composite tannin sorghum and white cowpea flours.

Field assessment of yield and its contributing traits in cowpea treated with lower, intermediate, and higher doses of gamma rays and sodium azide

Across the globe, plant breeders of different organizations are working in collaboration to bring preferred traits to crops of economic importance. Among the traits, "high yielding potential" is the most important as it is directly associated with food security and nutrition, one of the sustainable development goals. The Food and Agriculture Organization acknowledges plant breeders' role and efforts in achieving local and global food security and nutrition. Recognizing the importance of pulses and increasing pressure on food security, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2016 the "International year of Pulses" owing to their preferred traits such as climate change resilience, wide adaptability, low agriculture input, and protein- and nutrient-rich crops. Keeping all these developments in consideration, we initiated an induced mutagenesis program by treating cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.) with different doses of gamma rays and sodium azide aiming to enhance the yielding potential of an otherwise outstanding variety viz., Gomati VU-89 and Pusa-578. We noticed a substantial increase in mean values of agronomic traits in putative mutants raised from seeds treated with lower and intermediate doses of mutagens. Statistical analysis such as correlation, path, hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA), and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to assess the difference between mutagenized and control populations. A significant and positive correlation of yield with yield-attributing traits was recorded. However, among all the yield attributing traits, seeds per pod (SPP) depicted the maximum direct impact upon yield, and therefore, working on this trait may yield better results. A widely used PCA revealed 40.46% and 33.47% of the total variation for var. Gomati VU-89 and var. Pusa-578, respectively. Cluster analysis clustered treated and control populations into separate clusters with variable cluster sizes. Cluster V in the variety Gomati VU-89 and cluster V and VI in the variety Pusa 578 comprised of putative mutants were higher yielding and hence could be recommended for selection in future breeding programs. We expect to release such mutant lines for farmer cultivation in Northern parts of India depending on the performance of such high-yielding mutant lines at multilocations.

Cowpea Constraints and Breeding in Europe

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is a legume with a constant rate of cultivation in Southern European countries. Consumer demand for cowpea worldwide is rising due to its nutritional content, while Europe is constantly attempting to reduce the deficit in the production of pulses and invest in new, healthy food market products. Although the climatic conditions that prevail in Europe are not so harsh in terms of heat and drought as in the tropical climates where cowpea is mainly cultivated, cowpea confronts with a plethora of abiotic and biotic stresses and yield-limiting factors in Southern European countries. In this paper, we summarize the main constraints for cowpea cultivation in Europe and the breeding methods that have been or can be used. A special mention is made of the availability plant genetic resources (PGRs) and their potential for breeding purposes, aiming to promote more sustainable cropping systems as climatic shifts become more frequent and fiercer, and environmental degradation expands worldwide.

Developing a culturally acceptable peanut nutrition bar with smallholder women farmers in Kaffrine, Senegal using response surface methodology

To increase farm income and food security, a collaboration was made with smallholder women farmers in Kaffrine, Senegal to develop a culturally acceptable peanut nutrition bar using healthy indigenous and local ingredients and feasible manufacturing methods. This study aimed to use response surface methodology to optimize the bar's formulation and characterize the texture, nutrient profile, sensory qualities, and water activity. The bars were made by varying the ratio of cowpea flour to corn flour (w/w, d.b., 0/100, 25/75, 50/50, 75/25, and 100/0) and the percentage of baobab pulp powder in the cowpea-corn flour blend (w/w, d.b., 15%, 20%, 25%, and 30%) with a fixed amount of 13 g of peanut paste added to all formulations. The use of acacia gum as a binder increased the bars' cohesiveness. Increasing the ratio of cowpea flour to corn flour decreased the cohesiveness and increased protein, fiber, calcium, iron, and folate levels of the bars. Increasing the percentage of baobab pulp powder increased the hardness, fiber, and vitamin C levels, and decreased cohesiveness and water activity of the bars. The bar formulation optimized for sensory acceptance had a cowpea to corn ratio of 85.3:14.7, a baobab level of 9.95%, and 13 g of peanut paste. According to the research, the optimum formulation gave 38%, 32%, 36%, 50%, 11%, and 83% of the recommended dietary allowance of protein, fiber, calcium, iron, vitamin C, and folate, respectively, per serving for school-age children and featured culturally acceptable texture and desirable water activity for commercialization. This study provided critical foundations for the subsequent feasibility assessment of a commercial launch, projected to significantly increase the revenue and nutrient intake of the partnering communities. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The commercialization of the peanut nutrition bar will serve as a source of new income for Senegalese smallholder women farmers, provide essential nutrients for school-age children and potentially reduce post-harvest loss. Response surface methodology used in this study can also be applied to food product development with indigenous communities to develop an accepted and community-feasible product formulation.

Chemical and molecular examinations of some cowpea genotypes using simple sequence repeat and intersimple sequence repeat DNA markers in relation to their cooking quality

Cowpea is a leguminous crop that has received widespread attention due to its high nutritional value. However, it is prone to losing some of its nutritional content due to the long cooking process. In this study, fourteen cowpea genotypes were evaluated for their chemical properties before and after cooking, along with the effect of different cooking treatments on the cooking time, considered as the main indicator of the cooking quality. Moreover, the correlation between molecular markers (simple sequence repeat (SSR) and intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR)) and the cooking time of cowpea genotypes was determined. The obtained results showed significant differences between all the investigated genotypes before and after the cooking procedure, reflecting significant genotypic and heritability estimates. Kareem 7 and Greenish Black Balady genotypes showed the shortest cooking time. Microwave's treatment manifested the shortest cooking time compared with the other treatments, which appeared as a new approach to improve the cooking quality of cowpea seeds. Spearman's rank correlation showed that the calculated values were smaller than the tabulated value at 0.05, reflecting the existence of a rank correlation between SSR/ISSR-PCR banding products and the cooking time of cowpea genotypes. Such a study appeared to be a new approach, particularly in Egypt for the proper selection of the optimal cowpea seed on the basis of its cooking quality.

A complementary food supplement from local food ingredients to enhance iron intake among children aged 6-59 months in Benin

Nutritious complementary feeding is often not affordable in Benin, and iron deficiency exists. This research aimed at formulating an affordable and sensory acceptable complementary food supplement using local food ingredients to increase iron intake among children aged 6-59 months in Benin. The complementary food supplement was formulated to ensure that 10 g would cover 25% of the estimated average requirements for iron for children aged 6 to 12 months. Adansonia digitata fruit pulp, Moringa oleifera leaf powder, and Cochlospermum tinctorium root powder were used to compose the complementary food supplement, which was mixed with maize and sorghum ogi porridges before being presented to the mothers and children for the acceptability test. The mineral contents of Adansonia digitata fruit pulp in mg/100 g dw were 9.9 ± 0.1 for iron and 0.9 ± 0.1 for zinc. The iron and zinc contents of Moringa oleifera leaf powder and Cochlospermum tinctorium root powder in mg/100 g dw were 34.1 ± 2.2 and 26.8 ± 2.7 and 9 ± 0.0 and 0.9 ± 0.0, respectively. The complementary food supplement contained, in mg/100 g dw, 17.4 ± 1.1 of iron and 1.2 ± 0.1 of zinc. The maize and sorghum ogi porridges enriched with the complementary food supplement at substitution rates of 15% and 16% (in dry weight), respectively, were acceptable to 85% of children for sorghum ogi porridge and 87% for maize ogi porridge. The present study demonstrated the potential of local food ingredients in the formulation of an iron-rich and acceptable complementary food supplement for children aged 6-59 months in Benin.

The effect of legume supplementation on the gut microbiota in rural Malawian infants aged 6 to 12 months

BACKGROUND

Common bean and cowpea contain about 25% protein and 25% fiber, and are recommended as complementary foods in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to determine if a daily legume supplement given to Malawian infants aged 6 to 12 mo alters the 16S configuration of the fecal microbiota as read out by amplicon sequence variants (ASVs).

METHODS

This study was conducted within the context of a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial to assess whether cowpea or common bean supplementation reduced intestinal permeability or increased linear growth. There were 2 village clusters in which the study was conducted. Fresh stool collections were flash frozen from 236 infants at ≤6 time points. The stools were sequenced using Earth Microbiome project protocols and data were processed using Qiime and Qiita, open-source, validated software packages. α-diversity was measured using the Faith's test. The 16S configuration was characterized by determining the weighted UniFrac distances of the ASVs and comparing them using permutational multivariate ANOVA.

RESULTS

Among the 1249 samples analyzed, the α-diversity of the fecal microbiome was unchanged among subjects after initiation of legume supplementation. Neither cowpea nor common bean altered the overall 16S configuration at any age. The 16S configuration differed between children with adequate and poor linear growth aged from 6 to 9 mo, but no specific ASVs differed in relative abundance. The 16S configuration differed between children with normal and abnormal intestinal permeability at 9 mo, but no specific ASVs differed in relative abundance. Among categorical characteristics of the population associated with different 16S configurations, village cluster was most pronounced.

CONCLUSION

Legume supplementation in breastfed, rural African infants did not affect the structure of the gut microbial communities until the children were aged 9 mo. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02472262.

Consumption of Animal-Source Protein is Associated with Improved Height-for-Age z Scores in Rural Malawian Children Aged 12⁻36 Months

Linear growth faltering, caused by insufficient diet, recurrent infections and environmental enteric dysfunction (EED), continues to plague young children in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Diets in LMICs are primarily plant based, and thus have poor-quality protein and low levels of essential micronutrients. The aim of this study was to assess the association of the type and protein quality of food consumed with stunting, EED and acute malnutrition in children aged 6⁻36 months in Limera and Masenjere, two rural Southern Malawian communities. This is a secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials that tested the effects of common bean and cowpea flour on stunting in children aged 6⁻36 months. We used data from two interactive 24-h dietary recalls conducted 12 weeks after enrolment into each trial. Food intakes were compared between the regions using Chi-square and Student's t-test. There were 355 children that participated in the dietary recalls. The diets of children were of poor quality, but the children from Limera consumed more fish (54% vs. 35%, p = 0.009) and more bioavailable protein (26.0 ± 10.3 g/day vs. 23.1 ± 8.1 g/day, p = 0.018, respectively) than children in Masenjere. Food type and protein quality were not associated with any of the outcomes except an association between animal protein consumption and improvement in height-for-age z scores in children aged 12⁻36 months (p = 0.047). These findings support the notion that animal-source food (ASF) consumption in this vulnerable population promotes linear growth.