Effect of Harvest and Cook Processing on Cyanides Content of Cassava Cultivars and Cassava-Based Dough Consumed In Lom谷, Togo

作者：T Tchacondo; S D Karou; E Osseyi; A Agban

来源：Advance Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2011.

• Cassava cultivar
• cyanide
• dough
• harvest time

Cassava is a staple food for many populations, but it can be a source of poisoning due to its content of cyanide (CN). This study aimed to evaluate the influence of harvest and cook processing on the reduction of cyanide content in cassava-based foods. Ten cassava cultivars were collected from the National Collection in Togo. The CN content was measured to examine the influence of the following factors: cultivars, time of harvest, drying, grinding, boiling flour and the mixture of flour with corn flour. The results showed significant variation of CN content in the range of 375㊣3.32 and 27㊣14.28 mg/kg, within cultivars. The maximum CN content was obtained when the crop was harvested during the dry season (375.3㊣3.32 mg/kg) and the minimum in the rainy season (93.05㊣2.35 mg/kg). A circadian variation was also observed, with high concentration in the morning (67.3㊣1.75 mg/kg) and low concentration in the evening (50.55㊣4.32 mg/kg). For the same cultivar, the cyanide content of fresh tuber was at least two times greater than that of the dried one and five times higher than that of the dough. The mixture of cassava flour with corn flour significantly reduced the CN content of the dough. But this decline was stabilized for corn flour above 40%. Thus, by acting on the various studied factors, the amount of cyanide in cassava-based food can be sufficiently reduced.