African Journal of Malaria and Tropical Diseases

Full Length Research Paper

Nutritional potentials of some dishes eaten in a malaria endemic zone in Cameroon

Roger Ponka¹*, Elie Fokou¹,  Rose Leke², Martin Fotso³, Jacob Souopgui¹, Mercy Achu Bih¹ and Félicité Mbiapo Tchouanguep⁴

¹Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, P.O. BOX 812, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.

²Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaounde I, Yaounde, Cameroon.

³Centre for Research in Food and Nutrition, IMPM, Yaounde, Cameroon.

⁴Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Cameroon.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 11 July 2015

Abstract

This study deals with the description of the methods of preparation and determination of the nutritional potential of dishes consumed by Cameroonians living in a rural area, which is a malaria endemic zone, called Ngali II. The dishes consumed are prepared from leguminous seeds, seeds of the Cucurbitaceae family (egusi seeds), green leafy vegetables, tubers, cereals unripe bananas and plantains. The contents in moisture, ash, proteins, lipids, crude fibres and carbohydrates were determined by standard AOAC methods. The results obtained are expressed in percentage f.w for moisture and percentage d.w for ash, proteins, lipids, crude fibres and carbohydrates. The moisture content ranges from 57.77-86.17; ash, 0.66-14.74; proteins, 1.49-37.25; lipids, 0.26-54.98; crude fibres, 1.43-17.82 and carbohydrates, 3.51-95.76. This study revealed that a higher consumption of dishes made from leguminous seeds, egusi seeds, green leafy vegetables, and low consumption of tubers, unripe bananas and plantains will lead to a good nutritional balance.

Keywords: Dishes, preparation, nutritional potential, malaria.