Evaluation of Phytochemical Content and Antioxidant Capacity of Processed Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecuL.) Flour Substituted Injera

Abstract

Injera, is cultural food of some East African Countries particularly Ethiopia, Eritrea and to some extent Somalia which prepared from cereals such as teff, sorghum and maize. Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum L.) provides various active compounds that are essential for health promotion, disease prevention and food preservation. It can be exploited as functional and nutritional foods as well as therapeutic agent. This study was conducted to evaluate phytochemical contents and antioxidant capacity of fenugreek (roasted, germinated or raw) flour substituted teff injera. Phytochemical contents of total flavonoid content (TFC) and total condensed tannin content (TCTC) of fenugreek substituted injera were determined using aluminum chloride colorimetric and vanillin HCl assay methods respectively.  DPPH (2, 2-Diphenyl-1-Picrylhydrazyl) scavenging (%) and reducing power were taken as evaluation parameters for determination of antioxidant capacity of fenugreek substituted injera. The highest TFC (117.4 ± 1.56 mg of cathechin equivalent/g of dried extract) and TCTC (18.44 ± 0.48 mg of cathechin equivalent/g of dried extract) contents were found in 5% roasted and 5% raw fenugreek substituted injera respectively. The 5% roasted fenugreek substituted injera showed strongest, DPPH radical scavenging activity (IC₅₀ = 0.27 ± 0.05 mg/mL) and ferric ion reducing power (IC₅₀ =0.89 ± 0.05 mg/mL) than the other tested injera samples. In conclusion substitution of processed (roasted and germinated) fenugreek flour with teff flour showed more improvement in antioxidant capacity and total flavonoid content than that of raw fenugreek flour substituted injera.

Keywords: Phytochemical contents, Antioxidant capacity, processed fenugreek flour, teff flour

DOI: 10.7176/FSQM/92-01

Publication date: December 31^st 2019