NUTRITIONAL QUALITY AND SAFETY OF PROCESSED WAGASHI CHEESE USING CALOTROPIS PROCERA FOUND IN BENIN AND KENYA

Abstract

The Peulh cheese, locally known as Wagashi, is widespread and is mainly consumed in local West African communities including Benin. It is a form of cheese mainly made from cow‘s milk coagulated using fresh Calotropis procera plant extracts. The C. procera is a traditional medicinal plant found in many parts of the world. It is particularly utilized in West Africa in treatment of many ailments. Several studies have shown the usefulness of the plant. However, it has also been shown to contain toxic substances that pose health risks to humans. The present study investigated nutritional quality and safety of Wagashi cheese processed with milk and Calotropis procera obtained from Benin and Kenya. This study assessed the toxic substances contained in Calotropis procera leaves used for the processing of the milk into cheese. The aim was to obtain information necessary in improving nutritional and sanitary quality of Wagashi and to protect consumer health. The milk samples were collected from different cattle breeds and C. procera plants used in processing the cheese were obtained from Kenya and Benin. Milk was coagulated using C. procera samples from both countries. The resultant cheese and whey were subjected to biochemical analysis and phytochemical screening. The two Calotropis procera varieties collected in Benin and in Kenya were subjected to comparative qualitative and quantitative phytochemical analysis. The respective proximate analysis results for milk collected from Girolando breed in Mono and Borgou regions were 89.14% and 86.38% moisture content, 0.69% and 0.62% ash, 1.32% and 2.01% protein, 2.15% and 3.75% fat, 4.38% and 3.60% carbohydrate and 2.53% and 2.52% lactose. Proximate analysis for milk collected from Borgou breed in xii Borgou and Collines regions were 81.78% and 86.57% moisture content, ash 0.63% and 0.71%, protein 1.73% and 2.24%, fat 7.5% and 3.95%, carbohydrate 5.38% and 4.96% and 2.37% and 2.83% lactose. The moisture content, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate and lactose of milk samples collected from Lagunaire breed in Zou region were 84.19%, 0.67%, 2.44%, 5.10%, 6.122% 2.02% respectively. The respective moisture content, ash, protein, fat, carbohydrate and lactose of milk samples from Friesian and Ayrshire breeds collected in Kenya were 89.632% and 88.59%, 0.68% and 0.31% 2.33% and2.17%, 4.25% and 4.90% 3.14% and 4.43%, 2.47% and 1.84%. Biochemical analysis of all the cheese and whey obtained from different milk samples were similar. The Calotropis procera collected in Benin and Kenya has shown the presence of phytochemical such as Alkaloids, Flavonoids, Tannins, Cardiac glycosides, Phenols, Saponins, Steroids in both the stem and leaves. No phytochemicals was detected in the whey and cheese after qualitative analysis. However, flavonoids were found in the cheese after quantitative analysis. More results and the implication of the findings are discussed in details in the thesis. At the end of this studies we concluded that the cheese is still safe for consumption since the toxins (cardiac glycosides) were not detected in cheese. However more investigation need to be carry out on quantitative analysis.