title: The effects of processing on the availability of lysine in kenkey, a Ghanaian fermented maize food.
abstract: The effects of processing steps such as soaking, fermentation, cooking and drying on the availability of lysine in kenkey were investigated. Soaking increased lysine availability by 21% and 22% for maize and maize-cowpea mixtures, respectively. Cooking of soaked samples further improved lysine availability by 68% and 31% for maize and maize-cowpea mixtures, respectively. Further significant improvements in lysine availability were effected by fermentation and cooking and values of 3.42 and 4.43 g/16 g N were recorded, respectively for maize and maize-cowpea doughs fermented for 4 days and cooked for 3 h. Cabinet drying had no significant effect on lysine availability, but drum drying of fermented maize and maize-cowpea doughs significantly lowered lysine availability in the resulting kenkey. A 1:1 mixture of cabinet and drum dried flours gave a product with higher available lysine content than the drum dried flour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: P F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Nche
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Nout
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Rombouts
mesh_terms: D001682:Biological Availability; D005285:Fermentation; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005524:Food Technology / Q000379:methods; D005869:Ghana; D006801:Humans; D008239:Lysine / Q000032:analysis* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D008239:Lysine; D009584:Nitrogen