title: Differential effects of cooking in open cups and in sealed cellophane bags on the residual cyanide content of moi-moi, a processed legume product.
abstract: Bean pastes from the black eyed bean (Vigna unguiculata), pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) and Ife brown (V. unguiculata) were processed into a popular West African snack moi-moi, cooked in open aluminium cups and in sealed, thin, transparent cellophane bags. The residual total, free and bound cyanide levels of moi-moi from both processes were determined using a combination of enzymatic and colorimetric procedures. Results showed that in all cases, cooking of moi-moi in open aluminium cups caused retention of significantly higher (P<0.05) residual free cyanide than cooking in sealed cellophane bags. Loss of bound cyanide was unaffected by cooking procedure. These results suggest that cooking of moi-moi in cellophane bags reduces the risks of cyanide exposure from legumes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.
authors.forename: N P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Okolie
authors.forename: R O
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Omoigberale
mesh_terms: D002476:Cellophane; D003124:Colorimetry; D003296:Cooking; D003486:Cyanides / Q000032:analysis*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal
chemical_list: D003486:Cyanides; D002476:Cellophane