Medical Journal: Volume-11, Issue-3, March 2025

Abstract— Background: Increasing the nutrient density of commonly consumed foods will increase nutrient intake and ensure nutrition security.
Objectives: The study evaluated the chemical composition, functional, and sensory properties of Gari produced with palm oil, soybean, and defatted coconut flour.
Methodology: Fresh cassava roots was processed for gari using traditional methods. Soybean and coconuts were made into flour using standard procedures. The blends were formulated in ratios of Garri: soybean: coconut: and palm oil to obtain four samples 75:15:5:5; 65:20:10:5; 55:25:15:5; and 100: 0. The samples were evaluated for chemical, functional, and sensory properties using standard methods. IBM Statistical Product for Service Solution software (version 21) was used to analyze the data collected. Data was presented with descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviation). The means were compared and separated with Analysis of variance and Duncan multiple range test.
Results: The samples had moisture (9.5 to 10.83%), crude protein (1.27 to 11.52%), fat (1.06 to 14.29%), ash (0.62 to 2.47%), carbohydrate (86.60 to 59.70%), and energy (360.98 to 413.41Kcal). Calcium (2.15 to 15.81mg), sodium (0.83 to 11.51mg), magnesium (3.81 to 9.27mg), phosphorus (3.48 to 9.17mg), potassium (0.64 to 16.21mg), iron (0.22 to 2.83mg), zinc (0.41 to 1.82mg), vitamins A (19.42 to 201.42µg), thiamin (0.12 to 0.31mg), riboflavin (0.26 to 0.52mg), niacin (0.31mg to 0.92mg), vitamin C (6.11 to 10.28mg), vitamin E (0.17 to 0.52mg) tannin (0.28 to 0.57mg), alkaloid (0.11 to 0.48mg), flavonoids (0.41 to 0.72mg), saponin (0.16 to 0.47mg), phytate (0.02 to 0.23mg), and hydrogen cyanide as hydrogen cyanide (7.32 to 16.44mg) were also detected. Bulk density (0.72 to 0.84g/ml), water absorption capacity (1.07 to 1.56g/g), oil absorption capacity (1.61 to 2.42g/g), foam capacity (21.66 to 31.61%), foam stability (18.53 to 22.15%), swelling index (2.05 to 4.81%), and gelatinization temperature (70.31 to 78.620C) were determined. Samples 55:25:15:5, 75:15:5:5, 65:20:10:5 and 75:15:5:5, were preferred for color (7.46), texture (7.61), taste (7.43), and aroma (7.35) respectively. Sample 75:15:5:5; and 65:20:10:5 was more acceptable.
Conclusion: Garri produced with soybean, coconut, and red palm oil improved the nutrient composition and acceptability.
Keywords— Chemical and functional, sensory properties, Gari production; soybean; coconut; palm oil.

Abstract— Stunning is a critical step in fish processing that immobilizes fish before slaughter. This study investigated the effect of different stunning methods on the proximate composition and organoleptic properties of fresh and smoke-dried catfish. A total number of 20 live catfish (Clarias gariepinus) with a mean weight of 0.84±0.03 kg were obtained from a fish farm and were stunned by salting, icing, hammering, and exsanguination methods. Proximate analysis was carried out on parts of the freshly stunned fish. The rest of the fish samples were smoked dried, and then subjected to proximate analysis and organoleptic properties evaluation. The result of the organoleptic properties evaluation revealed that fish stunned by Salting (9.4±0.52) were the most preferred, while those stunned by icing (8.8±0.79) were the least preferred with no significant difference in overall acceptability among the stunning methods. The proximate analysis of fish samples showed that stunning methods had varying impacts on the proximate composition of fresh and smoke-dried fish samples. Fresh fish samples stunned by icing had the highest protein content (33.95±0.49) with the lowest moisture content (39.48±3.97), while the hammering method had the lowest protein content (19.25±0.49) with the highest moisture content (51.11±0.77). Smoke-dried fish samples stunned by icing method had the highest protein content (64.23±0.74), fat content (17.91±3.01) with a moisture content of 4.01±0.55, while the Salting method had the lowest protein content (54.78±0.74), and highest fat content (19.44±3.08) with a moisture content of 4.21±0.66. This study revealed that smoke drying improved the nutritional composition of catfish across all stunning methods.
Keywords— Stunning methods, Proximate composition, Organoleptic properties, Clarias gariepinus.