THE INFLUENCE OF COOKING METHODS ON THE ANTIOXIDANT STATUS OF TETRAPLEURA TETRAPETRA

Africa is blessed with a rich array of local spices such as Tetrapleura tetraptera. The culinary uses of T. tetraptera are many. The seed of Uhiokirihio is majorly used in the preparation of 'Banga' (palm fruit) soup, meat pepper soup and other types of soup in the southern part of Nigeria. It is also commonly used in soups of nursing mothers to prevent post-partum contractions. The rich antioxidant activity of this spice has been reported. There is, however, a dearth of information on the effect of different cooking methods on its antioxidant activity. This study, therefore, evaluated the effect of cooking methods on the antioxidant status of the seeds of Tetrapleura tetraptera. The raw seeds of the spice were both toasted and boiled separately for 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 minutes, respectively. The samples were analysed for anti-nutrients, vitamin contents and antioxidant properties. Anti-nutrient evaluation of the ethanolic (80% ethanol) extract revealed that both toasting and boiling time caused significant (p