ABSTRACTCowpea (vigna unguiculuta) paste, the principal ingredient in akara, was evaluated to determine the influence of indigenous microflora on chemical characteristics associated with akara quality. Six formulas (with and without onion, salt and pepper), consisting of inoculated (indigenous microflora) and uninoculated pastes, were incubated for 24 hr at 30°C. A strong relationship between time of incubation and increase in titratable acidity was evident for all treatments. Nitrogen solubility and protein degradation increased during incubation. Monosaccharide content increased with incubation for all pastes, while diand oligosaccharides decreased. No significant changes in thiamin content were observed; however, riboflavin increased for all formulations as incubation progressed
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