Nutrient content of some Cameroonian traditional dishes and their potential contribution to dietary reference intakes.
Malnutrition is a serious public health problem in Cameroon. The research study was conducted to determine nutrient content of some Cameroonian traditional dishes and their potential contribution to dietary reference intakes. These dishes were Ekomba, prepared from maize flour with roasted peanuts paste; Ekwang, prepared from crushed cocoyam tubers and cocoyam leaves; Tenue militaire, prepared from dried maize flour and cocoyam leaves and Koki, prepared from dried crushed cowpea seeds. The samples were subjected to proximate, minerals, carotenoids, and amino acids analyses. Results showed that the protein content ranged between 1.4 and 5.4 g/100 g edible portion. The mineral content expressed in mg/100 g edible portion ranged between 13.4 and 38.9 (calcium), 12.9-30.7 (magnesium), 336.2-567.9 (sodium), 63.3-182.7 (potassium), 0.5-1.5 (iron), 0.3-1.1 (zinc), 0.1-0.2 (copper), and 0.3-0.4 (manganese). Vitamin A activity content ranged between 0.1 and 0.4 mg Retinol Activity Equivalents/100 g edible portion. Consumption of each dish (100 g) (Ekwang, Tenue militaire, and Koki) by children aged 1-2 years would meet more than 100% of their daily recommended intake for vitamin A. Except in Ekomba, essential amino acids in all dishes represented up to 33% of total amino acids, indicating a good equilibrium between amino acids. This up-to-date appropriate information will contribute for the calculation of accurate energy and nutrient intakes, and can be used to encourage the consumption of these dishes.
Department of Agriculture Livestock and Derivated Products The Higher Institute of the Sahel University of Maroua Maroua Cameroon.
Roger
R
Ponka
Department of Biochemistry Faculty of Science University of Yaoundé I Yaoundé Cameroon.
Elie
E
Fokou
UMR 1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l' Œuf Inra-Agrocampus Rennes Rennes France.
Eric
E
Beaucher
UMR 1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l' Œuf Inra-Agrocampus Rennes Rennes France.
Michel
M
Piot
UMR 1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l' Œuf Inra-Agrocampus Rennes Rennes France.
Frédéric
F
Gaucheron
Amino acid composition; Cameroon; Proximate composition; Vitamin A activity composition; dietary reference intakes; minerals composition; traditional dishes