Abstract

Usi, an indigenous food in Delta State, Nigeria, produced from fermented cassava has no documented information about the nutritional and anti-nutritional content when fermented with starter cultures even though fermentation is known to engender nutritional improvement on food products. This study therefore aimed at investigating the effect of starter culture fermentation on the nutritional quality of cassava for usi production. Cassava tubers (TME 30572), fermented both spontaneously (control experiment) and with Lactobacilli starter cultures (singly and in-combination) for 72 hours were analyzed for proximate and anti-nutritional factors using standard methods. Data were statistically analyzed at 5% level of probability. Spontaneously-fermented sample had lower moisture content (5.68%), crude fat (0.23%), crude fibre (1.91%) and higher carbohydrate content (90.30%) than the starter-fermented samples which had (6.79-7.35%), (0.25-0.39%), (1.93-2.24%) and (88.31-89.63%) respectively. However, higher protein content ranging from 1.02% to 1.24% was observed in the starter-fermented mashes. The least tannin content (33.4 mg/g) was evident in the spontaneouslyfermented sample while cyanide was not detected in both the spontaneously- fermented sample and when the starters were combined. Although, spontaneously-fermented sample exhibited better moisture content, crude fibre content, tannin and cyanide content, utilization of starters brought about improved protein content. Furthermore, the consortium of the three starters showed better nutritional results than when utilized singly.

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