Asian Journal of Food Research and Nutrition

This study aimed to assess the nutritional improvement and the impact of lactic acid bacteria cultures on the antinutritional factors and mineral composition of ugba during storage. Three LAB species, Lactobacillus plantarum, L. brevis and L. fermentum, previously isolated and characterised from ugba, were used in three pairwise combinations: L. plantarum + L. brevis, L. plantarum + L. fermentum, and L. brevis + L. fermentum. A spontaneously fermented sample served as the control, while raw, unfermented African oil bean slices were included as a baseline. The prepared samples were fermented for 72 h and stored at 26–33 °C for 6 days, with analyses performed at 2-day intervals. The antinutrients (phytate, oxalate, hydrogen cyanide (HCN), and tannin) and minerals (potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and sodium) were determined using standard analytical procedures. Data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance. The antinutritional-factors and mineral contents in the samples differed significantly (p<0.05) during storage. The antinutritional factors of ugba samples inoculated with LAB starter culture were lower than those of their uninoculated counterparts at the end of the fermentation process and storage period. Ugba inoculated with L. plantarum + L. brevis had the lowest values for all the antinutrients investigated during storage. Ugba inoculated with L. plantarum and L. brevis recorded the highest values for potassium (35.71 mg/100 g), phosphorus (216.20 mg/100 g) and sodium (34.45 mg/100 g), whereas ugba inoculated with L. brevis and L. fermentum recorded the highest values for calcium (287.52 mg/100 g) and magnesium (189.14 mg/100 g). The study showed that selected LAB starter cultures can reduce measured antinutritional factors and modify mineral composition during ugba fermentation and storage, supporting their potential for improving the nutritional profile and process consistency of the product.