Nutritional quality of germinated cowpea flour (Vigna unguiculata) and itsapplication in home prepared powdered weaning foods

Amino acid profiles, protein digestibility corrected amino acid scores (PDC AAS), chemical scores, essential amino acid indexes, and calculated biologi cal values of control-cowpea flour (CCF), germinated cowpea flour (GCF) pre pared from cowpeas germinated at 25 degreesC for either 24 h or 48 h and we aning foods prepared from cowpea flours were determined. Locally available rice, cowpea flour, banana-pumpkin slurry, and skim milk powder and sucrose in the ratio 35:35:15:15:5 were used to formulate weaning food containing not less than 15% protein. The ingredients were cooked into a slurry and ov en-dried to produce flakes. The nutritional and sensory qualities of the we aning products were evaluated. Germination had little effect on the amino a cid profile of cowpeas. In vitro protein quality and starch digestibility w ere improved in germinated cowpea flour. The PDCAAS of 24 h germinated cowp ea flour (GCF) weaning food was higher (55.49%) than CCF-weaning food (46.7 4%). Vitamin A activity in 24 h GCF weaning food was higher than in CCF-wea ning food. In vitro starch digestibilities of 24 h GCF and 48 h GCF-weaning foods were higher than that of CCF weaning food. The 24 h GCF-weaning food which had a higher overall acceptability score by sensory panelist than 48 h GCF and CCF-weaning food is recommended for household consumption.