OXALATE LEVELS IN SELECTED AFRICAN INDIGENOUS VEGETABLE RECIPES FROM THE LAKE VICTORIA BASIN, KENYA

Abstract

African indigenous vegetables (AIVs) in Lake Victoria Basin that could provide micronutrients to fight malnutrition contain oxalates that reduce bioavailability. These can be reduced through appropriate traditional food processing techniques adopted by households. This study determined oxalate levels in formulated AIV recipes. Eleven selected AIVs and five AIV mixtures were each divided into two lots. One lot was boiled and fermented for 48 hours and other lot unfermented.

The unfermented were subjected to three treatments; cooked by boiling in water, cooked by boiling with cow’s milk and lye and cooked by sautéing. Oxalate levels in recipes were determined using HPLC. Independent t-test was used to compare the mean oxalate levels between fermented and unfermented recipes. One-way ANOVA was used to compare mean oxalate levels between different methods of cooking. Oxalate levels in unfermented recipes ranged from 2.62-10.17 mg/100g FW and in fermented, 1.54-20.36 mg/100g FW. The mean levels in some fermented recipes were significantly lower than unfermented (p<0.05). Cooking methods differently affected oxalate levels. Cooking methods and fermentation do not have a uniform effect on oxalate level reduction in all AIV recipes but could still be employed as household procedures in reducing oxalate levels in a number of AIV recipes.