This paper evaluated the effects of soaking and germination on the proximate and mineral composition of the kpaakpa (H.barteri) seed flour. The seeds were soaked for 12, 24 and 36 hours and allowed to germinate for 2, 4 and 6 days respectively. The germinated seeds were dried milled into flour and analyzed for proximate and mineral composition. Results were statistically analyzed and fitted into second order polynomial equation. A face centered response surface method using three level-two factor full factorial central composite design was employed to optimize the process parameters that will give the targeted optimum responses. Germination was found to increase protein, dietary fibre, reduce carbohydrate and fat. Germination enhanced potassium in virtually all the processed samples but reduced in Ca, Fe, Zn and phosphorus. The multiple regression model developed showed that the optimized processing conditions for the responses were 12 h of soaking and 4.75 days for germination for protein; 12 h of soaking and 5.97 days of germination for Iron and 36h of soaking and 5.95 days germination for Zinc.

The study evaluated the chemical composition of Alternantherabrasiliana leaves and Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces used in improving the iron and zinc contents of maize-bambara groundnut and maize-cowpea complementary foods. A. brasiliana leaves and H. sabdariffa calyces were freshly harvested, dried at 50 o C for 48 hour and analyzed for the relevant chemical components. Alternantherabrasiliana leaves and Hibiscus sabdariffa calyces contains 8.04 and 7.66% protein; 0.45 % and 0.35 % crude fat; 13.68 and 12.12 % crude fibre;8.65 and 6.25 % ash content; 4.68g/kg and 5.70 g/kgcalcium; 0.19 and 0.35 g/kg iron; 0.02 and 0.07 g/kg zinc respectively. The essential amino acids in Alternantherabrasiliana and Hibiscus sabdariffa were isoleucine (20.35 and 21.20 mg/kg); lysine (20.35 and 21.20 mg/kg); valine (41.85 and 41.90 mg/kg) histidine (20.55 and 20.33 mg/kg) and phenylalanine (51.65 and 50.55 mg/kg) respectively. The unsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid occurred at 152.7 and 154.7 mg/kg level, linoleic acid (217.7 mg/kg and 220.9 mg/kg) and linolenic acid (124.3 mg/kg and 122.7 mg/kg) for A. brasiliana and H. sabdariffacalyce respectively. The anti-nutrients content of Alternantherabrasiliana and Hibiscus sabdariffawere oxalate (101.30 and 51.25 mg/kg); phytate (88.55 and 75.85 mg/kg); tannin (52.5 mg/kg and 48.6 mg/kg).