Industrial Potentials of Bambara Nut

Abstract

Nigeria is a major producer of bambara nut in Africa.  The plant has outstanding traits such as drought tolerance, nitrogen fixation potentials and the ability to grow in marginal soils.  It is a crop for high attainment of food security and poverty alleviation in Africa as it is highly nutritious.  It is composed of 65% carbohydrate and 18% protein.  The nut can be used in the food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries.  The oil contain fatty acids which are mostly made up of Capric acid (17%), Lauric acid (9.0%), Palmitic acid (10%), Palmitoleic acid (21%) and Oleic acid (18%).  The predominant availability of unsaturated fatty acids and high iodine value index indicate that oil from bambara nut from Nigeria is the unsaturated type.  The high blend of protein and carbohydrate in bambara groundnut make it possible for the nut to be used as an emulsifier.  It can also be used in weaning food formulation.  The flour can also be used as partial replacement of wheat in cereal based confectionaries such as biscuit, cake and bread while the oil can be used in soap making.

Keywords: Food, Security, Nutritional Composition, Fatty Acid, Typsin, Bambara