Effect of Cereal Based Traditional Malting Technology Practised in Acholi Sub-Region of Uganda on Nutritional Quality of Iron-Rich Bean Flour

Abstract

Hidden hunger (micronutrient deficiencies) still persists to be a global public health burden with great disparities in developing countries such as Uganda. Bio-fortified iron-rich bean varieties have been developed and adopted in Uganda as a strategy to alleviate iron deficiency challenges. Iron-rich beans being plant-based, their potential to contribute to the alleviation of iron deficiency is constrained by anti-nutritional factors that reduce the bioavailability of nutrients. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential of a traditional malting technology practiced in the Acholi sub-region of Uganda (TMTA) to improve the nutritional quality of iron-rich beans. Making use of three varieties (NAROBEAN 1: NB1; NAROBEAN 2: NB2; and NAROBEAN 3:NB3) that are widely produced and consumed in the sub-region, the study examined the effect of the TMTA on: (i) the contents of anti-nutritional factors (phytates, oxalates, polyphenols, tannins, trypsin inhibitor activity); (ii) digestibility of protein and bioavailability of iron and zinc; and (iii) retention of proximate constituents and mineral micronutrient contents in the beans. Application of paired t-test revealed that, of all the anti-nutritional factors investigated, the TMTA reduced from all the three varieties, only the content of oxalates by 42.3-54.8 % and trypsin inhibitor activity by 6.2-34.6 %, and the content of total phenols in only NB 1 by 22.3 % (p < 0.05).