NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITION OF OFADA RICE AND TROPICAL ALMOND SEED BLENDS SUBJECTED TO SOLID STATE FERMENTATION
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51459/jostir.2026.2.1.028Keywords:
Keywords: Fermentation, Ofada, rice, almond seeds, nutritional composition, VitaminAbstract
ABSTRACT
The quest for nutritious and healthy food to promote health has increased in recent decades. Food scientists have applied various processing methods to enhance nutritional value. This study aimed to assess the effect of fermentation on the nutritional composition of fermented Ofada rice fortified with tropical almond seeds. Ofada rice was purchased from Ire Ekiti, Ekiti State, while tropical almond fruits were obtained from the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) campus. The brown rice was cleaned to remove debris and stones, then ground to powder. Rice and almond seeds were mixed in different proportions: 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, 60:40, and 50:50. Samples underwent solid-state fermentation for 72 hours. Phytochemical compositions of the raw rice and almond seeds were determined, alongside proximate and vitamin compositions of unfermented and fermented samples using standard methods. Alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, and cardiac glycosides were present in both raw samples. Fibre content increased after fermentation from 5.24% to 14.27%. Protein content significantly (p = 0.05) increased from 6.55% to 8.14% in almond seeds, 3.14% to 4.53% in rice, and 2.42% to 6.74% in blends. Carbohydrate content decreased in the blends from 81.69% to 45.24% post-fermentation. Sodium and calcium contents reduced, while potassium, magnesium, and iron increased significantly (138.37–400.33 ppm, 7.32–103.44 ppm, 2.88–6.89 ppm, respectively). Vitamin B1, B2, B12, C, D, and E contents increased across fermented blends. The findings indicate that fermentation enhances the nutritional quality of Ofada rice and tropical almond seeds.
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