GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

ABSTRACT Ayan-Ekpang is a generic name for a traditional delicacy of the people of Cross River and Akwa Ibom States of Nigeria made from either freshly grated Cocoyam or cassava tubers. The problem of acridity of the tubers and drudgery involved in its preparation hinders people from accessing the nutritional benefits of this meal and also discourages people from accepting and preparing the meals often. This study aimed at preparing Ayan-Ekpang using cassava and cassava flour to determine the nutrient and anti-nutrient contents as well as sensory properties of the Ayan- Ekpang prepared from the flour. All analyses were carried out using standard procedures and preference test was carried out to evaluate the relative preference of the samples on a nine point hedonic scale where 1= like extremely and 9= dislike extremely using twenty indigenous panelists who were familiar with the dishes. Data collected from the studies were statistically analyzed. From the proximate results of Ayan-Ekpang made from cassava flour, all the parameters analysed revealed an increase when compared with the control, except crude protein where there was no significant difference. The minerals analyzed were sodium, magnesium, potassium, copper, iron, phosphorus, zinc, calcium and manganese. There was a significant difference in the flour and the control under potassium, iron, zinc except copper and manganese which shows no significant difference. The anti-nutrients analyses in this study were hydrogen cyanide, oxalate, tannin, phytate and saponin. There was a significant difference in antinutrients contents of Ayan-Ekpang made with flour when compared to the control under hydrogen cyanide, oxalate and tannin, both control and flour scored significantly high in energy and carbohydrate. Also under sensory evaluation, there was no significant difference in all the attributes evaluated in Ayan-Ekpang made from cassava flour when compared to their controls. Regular consumption of this indigenous delicacy will contribute substantially to nutrient intakes of population groups and thus could be exploited for their potential health benefits. KEYWORDS: Ayan-Ekpang, Cassava Flour, Proximate, Mineral, Composition, Anti-Nutrients, Sensory Properties.