Sensory and Proximate Analysis of Monkey Sugarcane (costus afer) in Akwa Ibom Traditional Weaning Food (oto mboro).

Abstract

Monkey Sugarcane, scientifically known as Costus afe, is a prenniel herb that is native to tropical Africa and is widely recognized for its medicinal, nutritional and ecological importance.  In Akwa Ibom, this fern is not cultivated but grows in the bushes; also, it is not used in meal preparation despite its nutritional value. This study therefore examined the sensory, proximate, and chemical properties of monkey sugarcane in an Akwa Ibom traditional weaning food (Oto Mboro). Three purposes, three research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. Experimental research design was adopted for the study. Ingredients for the preparation of the samples were purchased from a local market in Uyo, while Monkey Sugarcane was harvested from the bush and used for the study. A standard recipe for Oto Mboro was developed and monkey sugarcane juice was substituted with bone broth to create a new variant and the samples were coded as BBOM – Bone Broth Otor Mboro and MSOM – Monkey Sugarcane Otor Mboro. The sensory evaluation was conducted in the Home Economics Education Laboratory while the proximate and chemical analysis were conducted in the Food Science Laboratory, University of Uyo. Findings revealed that the monkey sugarcane oto mboro had overall acceptability of (7.69±0.97); the proximate analysis also showed significant levels of protein (19.48a ±0.09); carbohydrates1(9.09d ±0.25) and appreciable levels of energy (219.34b ±1.5). The result of the chemical analysis also revealed that MSOM is rich in essential minerals such as iron (2.04 ±0.5) and magnesium (13.49±0.08) compared to the bone broth otor mboro. The hypotheses revealed that there is a significant difference in the sensory evaluation of Oto Mboro made from bone broth and monkey sugarcane juice whereas, there is no significant difference in the chemical composition of Oto Mboro made from bone broth and monkey sugarcane juice. The findings of the study suggests that monkey sugarcane juice can be a nutritious alternative to bone broth in weaning food preparation. The researchers concluded that monkey sugarcane juice is rich in minerals necessary for bone and teeth growth and development, as well as iron required for blood formation which are needed by infants. The researchers recommend incorporating monkey sugarcane juice into Akwa Ibom traditional weaning food (Oto Mboro) to maximize its nutritional benefits. The findings have implications for infant nutrition and the use of locally available, wild-growing plants like monkey sugarcane as a sustainable and nutritious food source. By utilizing monkey sugarcane juice in weaning food preparation, lactating mothers can provide their infants with essential nutrients for growth and development.