Short Communication Nutrient and Antinutrient Contents of Fermented Roselle Calyx

Abstract

Pure strains of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Saccharomyces cereviciae and Bacillus subtilis were isolated, cultured and subsequently used to ferment four portions of 100 g each of roselle calyx for 72 h. A decrease in pH with an increase in total titratable acidity (TTA) was recorded. The results of the proximate analysis revealed a significant increase in the protein content of the fermented calyx samples (10.8 ± 1.1 - 12.6 ± 1.1) compared with the unfermented (4.8 ± 1.3). There was no significant increase in the fat content while there was a significant decrease in the ash content. There was a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in the antinutrient content (phytate from 2143.6 ± 0.8 mg/100 g in the unfermented sample to 488.8 ± 3.7 mg/100 g and tannin from 5.30 ± 1.1% in the unfermented sample to 1.32 ± 0.1%) after 72 h of fermentation.