research article diversity, physicochemical and

Research ArticleDiversity Physicochemical and TechnologicalCharacterization of Elite Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz)Cultivars of Bantegrave a District of Central Benin

Abadjayeacute Faouziath Sanoussi1 Laura Yeacuteyinou Loko1 Hyacinthe Ahissou2

Adidjath Koubourath Adjahi1 Azize Orobiyi1 Angelot Paterne Agreacute1 Paulin Azokpota3

Alexandre Dansi1 and Ambaliou Sanni4

1Laboratory of Biotechnology Genetic Resources and Plant and Animal Breeding (BIORAVE) Faculty of Sciences andTechnology of Dassa Polytechnic University of Abomey 071BP28 Cotonou Benin2Laboratory of Protein Biochemistry and Enzymology Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FAST)University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) BP 526 Cotonou Benin3Department of Nutrition and Food Technology Faculty of Agricultural Sciences (FSA) University of Abomey-CalaviBP 526 Cotonou Benin4Laboratory of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Faculty of Sciences and Technology (FAST)University of Abomey-Calavi (UAC) BP 526 Cotonou Benin

Correspondence should be addressed to Abadjaye Faouziath Sanoussi sfaouth2000yahoofr

Received 15 August 2015 Accepted 8 November 2015

Academic Editor Yong In Kuk

Copyright copy 2015 Abadjaye Faouziath Sanoussi et al This is an open access article distributed under the Creative CommonsAttribution License which permits unrestricted use distribution and reproduction in any medium provided the original work isproperly cited

Cassava is one of the staple food crops contributing significantly to food and nutrition security in BeninThis study aimed to assessthe diversity of the elite cassava cultivars of Bante district determine the physicochemical properties of the most preferred ones aswell as the sensory attributes of theirmajor derived products (gari and tapioca) and compare themwith the farmersrsquo and processorsrsquoperception on their technological qualities The ethnobotanical investigation revealed existence of 40 cultivars including 9 elitesthat were further classified into three groups based on agronomics and technological and culinary properties Clustered togethercultivars Idilerou Monlekangan and Odohoungbo characterized by low fiber content high yield of gari and tapioca and goodin-ground postmaturity storage were the most preferred ones Their physicochemical analysis revealed good rate of dry matters(398 to 4113) starch (2447 to 255) and total sugars (3946 to 4113) low fiber (080 to 102) and cyanide (50mgkg)contents The sensory analysis of their gari and tapioca revealed very well appreciated (taste color and texture) products by theconsumers The confirmation by scientific analysis of the farmersrsquo perception on qualities of the most preferred cultivars indicatedthat they have good knowledge of their materials

1 Introduction

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is one of the mostimportant staple food crops grown in the tropics [1 2] Itplays an important role in ensuring food security in mostof the developing world namely Africa the Asian Pacificand South America [2 3] Currently more than 750 millionpeople of which 45 of sub-Saharan Africans rely on cassava

as their primary food source [2] All the parts of the cropare useful either for human consumption (young leavesand roots) or for feeding animal [4] Cassava plant is wellknown for its ease of cultivation adaptability to poor soilconditions low rainfall high temperature and resistance todrought [2 4 5] Such characteristics are especially relevantin coping with the ongoing climate change [2] Moreoverit constitutes source of income for several billion farmers

Hindawi Publishing Corporatione Scientific World JournalVolume 2015 Article ID 674201 8 pageshttpdxdoiorg1011552015674201

2 The Scientific World Journal

traders and industries [3 6] and it contributes significantlyto the economy ofmost tropical countries through processinginto various products [7 8]

Cassava root has many uses The roots are processedinto flour starch and other end products (chips flakesbiofuel textile and glue) [9] However the uses of theroots are constrained by some factors They are perishablerequire rapid utilization after harvest [3 9] and contentsometimes detrimental levels of cyanogenic glycoside [10]In Africa improperly processed cassava is a major problemassociated with a number of cyanide-related health disordersparticularly among people who are already malnourished[11] Accumulation of cyanide leads to the developmentof goiter and tropical ataxic neuropathy a nerve-damagingdisorder that renders a person unsteady and uncoordinated[11] Severe cyanide poisoning particularly during faminesis associated with outbreaks of a debilitating irreversibleparalytic disorder and in some cases death [11] Accordingto [12] the potential for poisoning is further complicated bythe fact that the cyanide content of cassava is known to varywith environmental conditions such as drought (leading toan increase in cyanogenic potential) In parallel it is generallyknown that processing techniques are employed to detoxifycassava root and reduce cyanogenic glycosides to safe levels[10] and cassava products that are not adequately processedhave been linked to cyanide poisoning [13]

In West Africa particularly in Benin several cassavacultivars exist and they aremainly consumed after processinginto gari traditional flour lafun and improved flour [13]Cultivars are thus selected and cultivated by farmers based onconsumers preferences in terms of quality which is mostlygoverned by the final texture (particularly the friability ormealiness) and the taste of the boiled roots [14 15] Howeverthe diversity distribution and extent of the mostly usedor preferred cassava cultivars at Bante its high productionand processing areas in Benin are unknown In additionthe technological aptitude of each cultivar in processinginto gari (flour from grated cassava that is subsequentlyfermented for 1-2 days and roasted orand dried) and tapioca(partially gelatinized roasted cassava starch which appears asflakes or irregularly shaped granules) the traditional largelyconsumed products seem to be known by producers and pro-cessors but are not yet documented to be properly exploitedby scientific research The link between physicochemicalproperties of fresh cassava roots and farmersrsquo perception onits technological processing aptitude is not yet establishedThis study initiated to fill this gap of knowledge is aimed atthe following

(i) assessing diversity of elite cassava cultivars in Banteand identifying the most preferred ones based ontheir technological and culinary performances

(ii) evaluating the physicochemical composition of themost preferred elite cassava cultivars for comparisonwith farmersrsquo knowledge or perception on their tech-nological aptitude

(iii) determining sensory profile of the gari and tapiocaproduced with these most preferred cultivars

2 Material and Methods

21 Study Area and Diversity Analysis This study was con-ducted in the district of Bante located in the forest and humidregion of central Benin (West Africa) It covers an area of2695 km2 and is inhabited mainly by the ethnic groups Itcha[16] The district is partitioned in 8 major villages whichare Akatakou Assaba Banon Djagbalo Kafegnigbe LougbaOkoutaosse and Pira (Figure 1) For the study these villageswere selected for survey

Data were collected during expeditions from the differ-ent sites through the application of participatory researchappraisal tools and techniques such as direct observationgroup discussions individual interviews and field visitsusing a questionnaire [17 18] In each village interviewswere conducted with the help of a local translator Groupdiscussions were heldwith an average of 30 cassava producers(both females and males) of different ages In each sitelocal farmersrsquo associations and the chiefs of the village wereinvolved in the study to facilitate the organization of themeetings and data collection Cultivars used were listed andtheir distribution and extent were assessed using the FourSquare Analysis method following [17] The Four SquareAnalysis method allows classifying into four classes and infarmersrsquo participatory way cultivars were identified in a givenvillage base on the relative (small or large) size of the landarea devoted to the variety and on the relative number (fewor many) of households cultivating it [17] Then discussionstook place on each cultivar with the view of documenting itsagronomic technological and culinary characteristics TheFour SquareAnalysismethod is used to identify elite cultivars(cultivated on large areas and by many households) and toassess the rate of cultivars loss

22 Physicochemical Analysis Cassava root samples werecollected from the cassava germplasm maintained as fieldcollection at the faculty of sciences and technology of DassaCollected samples were washed the outermost ldquopaperyrdquo layerof skin (the periderm) and the next outermost layer of eachroot sample the cortex (or peel) were then removed Ametalcork-borer was used to take sample of tuber parenchyma (orflesh) adjacent to the center of the transverse section Thesamples of cassava flesh were ground by Moulinex DPA1 41and the paste obtained was homogenized and stored in arefrigerator (10∘C) for later analysis of drymatter total sugarsfibers starches and cyanide content

Dry matter was determined according to AOAC method[19] The moisture and solids content were determined bydrying 5 g of flour in the oven at 105∘C temperature Every2 hours of drying the sample is removed from oven andweighed This was repeated until stable products weight wasobtained

Crude fiber was determined from the residue of defattedsample by keeping 5 g of sample in a muffle furnace at tem-perature of 900∘C for 6 hours following AOACmethods [19]

Starch content was determined using the anthronemethod [5 12] Starch extraction was carried out by adding3mL of 66 of perchloric acid to 02 g cassava mash for20min and then diluted into 100mL Two millimeters of

The Scientific World Journal 3

Pira Banon

Akpassi

LougbaKoko

Akatakou

Bant e

Bant e

Assaba

Djagbalo

Agoua

Bob e

Gouka

District of Savalou

Districtof Glazoue

District of Bassila

BurkinaFaso

Togo

Togo

Nigeria

NigerN

Atokolibe

Source field data 2015

District administrative centerSurveyed villagesState boundary

District boundaryBorough boundary

0 10 20

(km)

1∘309984000998400998400E 1∘409984000998400998400E 1∘509984000998400998400E 2∘09984000998400998400E 2∘109984000998400998400E

1∘309984000998400998400E 1∘409984000998400998400E 1∘509984000998400998400E 2∘09984000998400998400E 2∘109984000998400998400E

8∘309984000998400998400N

8∘209984000998400998400N

8∘109984000998400998400N

8∘309984000998400998400N

8∘209984000998400998400N

8∘109984000998400998400N

Okoutaoss e

Kafingb e

Figure 1 Map of the study area showing the villages surveyed

obtained solution was placed in test tubes and mixed with5mL of anthrone reagent The test tubes were placed in aboiling water bath and left for 12min They were then cooledand the absorbance was measured at 490 nm

The total sugars content was determined using the colori-metric test as described by [20] Fresh cassava samples werefinely crushed and passed through filter of 05mm mesh 1 gof the crushed and filtered sample then obtainedwas added to5mL of distilled water and centrifuged About 02mL extractobtained from centrifuged sample at 2000 rpm for 10minwasadded to 08mL distilled water and then 05mL phenol (5(pv)) and 25mL H

2SO4extract were brutally added After

being softly homogenized the mixture was boiled at 100∘Cfor 5min and then cooled at darkness during 30min Theabsorbance was measured at 490 nm The sugars content iscalculated using the following formula

Sugar

=

Abs minus Intercept times Dilution factor times VolumeWeight of sample times Slope times 10000

(1)

where Abs is absorbance Dilution factor = 5 Volume = 20Slope = 00055 and Intercept = 00044

The method used for cyanide analysis was described by[12] Solution of 20 g was steam-distilled in 40mL NAOH(25 gL) and then added to 8mL KI (5 (pv)) The solutionwas titrated with 002N AgNO

3until apparition of light

trouble

23 Sensory Quality Determination The sensory profile wasassessed using multiple comparison test described by [21]The panel was composed of 30 regular consumers (panelists)of gari and tapioca Gari samples from the different cas-sava varieties were simultaneously presented to the panelistin plates followed by the tapioca samples Tap water wasprovided for panelists to rinse mouth between samplesThe samples of gari and tapioca were analyzed for variousattributes such as color taste and texture The sensory testwas performed in naturally illuminated room The panelistswere initially trained to rank these attributes on a semistruc-tural scale (1-2) The taste of the gari and tapioca will be


as follows 1 = sweet gari or tapioca 2 = very sweet gari ortapioca The color of the sample will be as follows 1 = whitecolor 2 = brownish white The texture will be as follows thevalue 1 represents very dry gari or tapioca while 2 is relatedto dry gari or tapioca

24 Statistical Analysis Cassava cultivars diversity (in termsof agronomic and technological performances) was assessedusing UPGMA (Unweighted Pair-GroupMethod with Arith-metic Average) clustering method by considering identifiedcassava cultivars as individuals and evaluation parametersas variables using NTSYS-pc 22 (Numerical Taxonomy andStatistical Analysis) software [22] following [18]

All chemical analyses were performed in triplicate Thedata was analyzed using EXCEL Spreadsheet and STATIS-TICA version 71 For physicochemical and sensory analysisparameters descriptive statistics (means and standard devi-ations) were computed and 119905-test of student was performedto assess the significance (119875 lt 005) of differences betweenmeans

3 Results and Discussion

31 Diversity Distribution and Extent of Cassava Cultivarsin Bante Subject to clarification of eventual synonymy 40cassava cultivars were identified in the 8 surveyed villages(Table 1)The number of cultivars identified per village variedfrom 11 to 26with an average of 15 varieties per village Assabapresented the greatest number of cultivars (26) whereas thefewest number of cultivars (11) was recorded in Djagbaloand Pira Among the 40 cassava cultivars identified somelike Odohoungbo and Olobekpe were found in all villagessurveyed while others like Bocconon and Bamiwomo werefound in only one village

The distribution and extent analysis revealed that despitethe existing diversity only 9 cultivars (BEN Idilerou Ma-boussa Monlekangan Odohoungbo Okotiyawo RB Tataw-ili andTMS)were found in at least one village as cultivated bymany households and on large areas (Table 1)These cultivarscould be considered as elite following [17] In the absenceof improved lines elite cultivars can be used by NGOs ordevelopment projects in agricultural extension or in somediversity exchange programs between villages [9 23]

Using their agronomic performances and their techno-logical and culinary characteristics the dendrogram per-formed with NTSYS software grouped at 75 of similaritythe 9 elite cassava cultivars identified into 3 different unitsG1 G2 and G3 (Figure 2)The composition of these units andtheir key characteristic traits are summarized inTable 2 InG1three cultivars (Odohoungbo Monlekangan and Idilerou)cluster together with very good technological andor culinarycharacteristics high productivity good in-ground postmatu-rity storage andmaturity cycle ranging from 12 to 18 monthsThe second group (G2) was composed of Maboussa andTatawili cultivars These cultivars have average productivityG3 assembles four cultivars (RB TMS Okotiyawo and BEN)characterized by high productivity early maturity (6 to 8months) sweet taste and poor in-ground postmaturity stor-age aptitude (root rot or transformation into fiber) Farmers

Coefficient062 071 081 091 100

BEN

TMS

RB

Maboussa

Tatawili

Odohoungbo

G1

G2

G3

Monl ekangan

Idil erou

Ocirckocirctiyawo

Figure 2 Dendrogram showing the classification of the 9 elitecultivars into three groups

and processors reported that within a set of elites cultivarscharacterized by low fiber content high yield of gari andgood quality of end products (gari tapioca and dough)high productivity and good in-ground postmaturity storageaptitude are their two key preference criteria Processorsgenerally buy cassava when it is still immature growing in thefield When the plants reach maturity they gradually harvestand process into end products depending on the marketdemand In such conditions it is not surprising that onlyG1 cultivars are the most preferred cultivars as reported thefarmers

32 Physicochemical Characteristics of the Preferred EliteCultivars Farmers and processors perceptions on somephysicochemical properties of fresh cassava root of thesethree most preferred cultivars are reported in Table 3 Lowcyanide content cassava was scored as themost bitter [15] Allthe respondents recognized the super-elite cassava cultivarsas having bitter tasteThey could be considered as low cyanidecontent cultivars as highlighted by [15] for some bitter tastecassava cultivars For almost all the respondents (8293 to100) Odohoungbo Molekangan and Idilerou appeared ascultivars with high dry matter content

To compare farmersrsquo and processorsrsquo technological per-ceptions that have been accessed to physicochemical com-position of the sample fresh cassava roots of G1 cultivarswere analyzed for dry matters fiber starch total sugars andcyanide content and the results are presented in Table 4 Thehighest rate of dry matter (4467) starches (255) fibers(102) total sugars (4113) and cyanides (5024mgkg)content was recorded for Molekangan while Odohoungboshowed apart from total sugars the lowest values for all theparameters considered However no significant difference(119875 gt 5) among the three most preferred cultivars was


Table 1 Diversity distribution and extent of cassava cultivars in Bante district

Number Cultivars Cycle (month) Village distribution and extent1 Abakokota 12 Kafegnigbe (minusminus)2 Adobia 7ndash12 Akatakou (+minus) Assaba (+minus) Banon (+minus) Djagbalo (+minus) Lougba (+minus) Okoutaosse (minus+)3 Agrik 12 Banon (minusminus) Djagbalo (+minus) Lougba (minus+) Okoutaosse (+minus)4 Akpalokofo 12 Assaba (+minus) Banon (minus+) Kafegnigbe (minus+)5 Aroubielou 8ndash12 Assaba (minus+)6 Assoumon 6ndash8 Akatakou (+minus)7 Boconnon 12 Banon (minusminus)8 Bamiwomo 7ndash10 Assaba (minusminus)9 Banchiognibo 8ndash12 Akatakou (minusminus) Banon (minusminus) Djagbalo (+minus) Kafegnigbe (+minus) Okoutaosse (minusminus)10 BEN 6ndash10 Akatakou (minus+) Assaba (++)11 Dangariya 12 Assaba (minus+)12 Doufe 12 Assaba (minusminus)13 Eguedoudou 12 Adja Pira (minus+) Assaba (+minus) Okoutaosse (minusminus)14 Gbamiloya 6 Banon (minusminus) Lougba (minusminus)15 Ghana 18 Lougba (minusminus) Assaba (minusminus)16 Idilerou 12ndash18 Akatakou (minus+) Assaba (minusminus) Djagbalo (++)17 Onichoutin 10ndash12 Assaba (+minus) Akatakou (minusminus) Banon (minusminus) Djagbalo (minus+) Lougba (+minus)18 Kalaba 12 Assaba (minusminus)19 Katapila 12 Lougba (minusminus)20 Kinkeledji 12 Akatakou (minusminus) Assaba (+minus)21 Konkonni 18 Banon (minusminus)22 Koukpabiekpo 10ndash12 Assaba (minusminus)

23 Maboussa 10ndash12 Adja Pira (++) Akatakou (+minus) Assaba (++) Banon (++) Djagbalo (+minus) Lougba (++)Okoutaosse (++)

24 Malebra 12 Assaba (minusminus)25 Monlekagan 12 Adja Pira (minusminus) Assaba (++)26 Nontekponmi 6 Lougba (minusminus)27 Obia 12ndash18 Kafegnigbe (minus+)

28 Odohoungbo 12ndash18 Adja Pira (++) Akatakou (++) Assaba (++) Banon (++) Djagbalo (++) Kafegnigbe (++)Lougba (++) Okoutaosse (++)

29 Ogoubi 6ndash10 Adja Pira (+minus) Akatakou (minusminus) Assaba (minusminus) Banon (minus+) Lougba (+minus)30 Ohoyi 12 Kafegnigbe (minus+)

31 Okoyawo 12 Adja Pira (++) Akatakou (++) Assaba (++) Banon (++) Djagbalo (++) Kafegnigbe (++)Lougba (+minus) Okoutaosse (++)

32 Olobekpe 9ndash12 Adja Pira (+minus) Akatakou (+minus) Assaba (+minus) Banon (+minus) Djagbalo (minus+) Kafegnigbe (+minus)Lougba (+minus) Okoutaosse (minusminus)

33 RB 6ndash12 Akatakou (minusminus) Assaba (++) Kafegnigbe (++)34 Tataboe 9 Banon (minusminus)35 Tatawi 6 Akatakou (minusminus) Assaba (++) Djagbalo (minusminus)36 Tchabaou 7ndash10 Kafegnigbe (minusminus)37 Tchamba 12 Assaba (minusminus)38 Tioka 12 Assaba (minusminus) Banon (+minus) Lougba (+minus) Okoutaosse (+minus)39 TMS 8ndash10 Akatakou (++) Assaba (++) Djagbalo (+minus)40 Yaouıdale 12ndash18 Lougba (minusminus) Okoutaosse (minusminus)

found as far as the starch and cyanide contentThe drymattercontent of Idilerou (4315) was not significantly different tothe one of Odohoungbo (4234) whileMolekangan showedsignificantly higher drymatter contentThe results are similar

to those (3730 to 4526) reported by Fakir et al (2012)in Bangladesh and higher than the values (288 to 411)obtained respectively by [1 15] on six cassava cultivars inBenin As reported by [24] this difference might be due


Table 2 Agronomic culinary and technology characteristic of elite cultivars

Cultivars Prt MCy GPS Tas Fco YGa QGa Sco QTa QDoBEN Hi Lm Ba Su Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoIdilerou Hi Vl Go Bi Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoMaboussa Av Lm Go Su Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoMonlekangan Hi Vl Go Bi Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoOdohoungbo Hi Vl Go Bi Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoOkotiyawo Hi Em Ba Su Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoRB Hi Em Ba Su Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoTatawili Av Em Go Su Lo Hi Go Lo Go GoTMS Hi Lm Ba Su Lo Hi Go Hi Go GoPrt productivity MCy maturity cycle GPS in-ground postmaturity storage Tas taste Fco fiber content YGa yield of gari QGa quality of gari Sco starchcontent QTa quality of tapioca and QDo quality of doughHi High Av average Lm late maturity Vl very late maturity Em early maturity Ba bad Su sugared Bi bitter Go good Lo low

Table 3 Farmers and processors perceptions on physicochemicalproperties of the roots of G1 cassava cultivars

Evaluationparameters Cultivars Farmersrsquo and processorsrsquo perceptions

Low () High ()

Fiberscontent

Idilerou 9268 732Odohoungbo 100 0Monlekangan 95 5

Starchescontent


Dry mattercontent


Cyanidecontent


Table 4 Physicochemical composition of the three most preferredcassava elite cultivars

Chemical composition Idilerou Odohoungbo MolekanganStarches (WW) () 2470 plusmn 010a 2447 plusmn 049a 255 plusmn 002a

Dry matters () 4315 plusmn 026a 4234 plusmn 042a 4467 plusmn 021b

Fibers () 090 plusmn 0010a 080 plusmn 002b 102 plusmn 0010c

Cyanide (mgkg) 5019 plusmn 004a 5013 plusmn 003a 5024 plusmn 004a

Total sugars (WW)() 4020 plusmn 010b 3946 plusmn 020a 4113 plusmn 003c

The value with the same superscript letter in the row are not significantlydifferent from each other at probability 119875 = 005

to variations in genotypes and in the growing conditionsof the cultivars High dry matter of cassava roots couldcontribute to the increase of the yield and the texture ofderivative product [8] Consequently the higher dry matterof the cultivars probably explained their high aptitude for in-ground postmaturity storage high yield and good textureof ends products previously reported in this paper Thisresult was confirmed by farmers who noted that the higher

the dry matter content of cassava cultivar the better the yieldof derived gari and tapioca From this finding it is shown thatsurveyed farmers have goodperception ondrymatter contentof elite most preferred cassava cultivars

The starches content of the three cultivars (IdilerouOdohoungbo and Molekangan) on wet weigh basis were247 2447 and 255 respectively These values aregreater than the values ranged from 1504 to 2191 obtainedby [24] for five accessions of cassava However these resultsare comparable to the values of 2490 to 2505 obtained bythe same authors for other cultivars

The fibers content varied significantly (119875 le 005) betweenthe three cassava cultivars analyzed The values obtainedranged from 080 to 102 and they were lower than thevalues of 160 reported by [5] and 166 to 427 reported by[24] for seven accessions of cassava in Bangladesh HoweverMolekangan cultivars fiber content (102) had similar valueas to the one (102) obtained by [1] in Nigeria Regardingthese low fibersrsquo content of Idilerou Odohoungbo andMolekangan cassava cultivars revealed by physicochemicalanalysis it could be concluded that farmers and processorshave good perception of fibers content of their cultivars

The total sugars content on fresh weight basis is4020 3946 and 4113 for Idilerou Odohoungboand Molekangan cassava cultivars respectively These arein agreement with Balamurugan and Anbuselvi [5] whoreported that cassava is a rich source of carbohydrates Thethree cultivars were significantly different in terms of totalsugars content

The cyanide content of three cultivars analyzed rangingfrom 5013 to 5024mgkg are very low compared to thecyanides content values 132mgkg 916 to 189mgkg and13720 to 54601mgkg reported respectively by [1 15] for sixcassava cultivars in Benin and by [24] for seven accessions ofcassava in Bangladesh This observation may be due to thefact that the cyanide content of cassava is known to vary withenvironmental conditions [11 12 25] and with genetic factors[11 25]

Although there is no general consensus on the safelevels of cyanide for both human and animal consumption[12] it is noted that a great danger of chronic poisoningmight occur if roots with more than 150mg HCN per kg


Table 5 Sensory profiles of gari and tapioca from the three most preferred cassava elite cultivars

Products Cultivars Taste Color TextureSw VSw Wh BWh Dr VDr

GariIdilerou 7667 2333 8000 2000 6000 4000

Odohoungbo 7667 2333 5667 4333 4000 6000Monlekangan 8333 1667 4333 5667 7333 2667

TapiocaIdilerou 4000 6000 73 33 2667 80 20


Sw sweet VSw very sweet Wh white BWh brownish white Dr dry VDr very dry

is consumed According to [12] when the peeled portioncontains lt50mg HCN per kg of freshly grated cassava thecassava is considered innocuous and can be taken as harm-less to the consumer A concentration between 50mg and80mgkg may be slightly poisonous 80ndash100mgkg is toxicwhile concentrations above 100mgkg of grated cassava aredangerously poisonous [11 25] In regard to these guidelinesit can be observed that the cyanide content values of the threecassava cultivars analyzed were slightly higher than 50 ppmthe International Codex Standard upper limit in ldquosweetcassavardquo According to [15] cultivar with low cyanide contentalso had the lowest sugar content and despite its low cyanidecontent was scored as the most bitterThis finding is in agree-ment with the observation of the results of physicochemicalanalysis especially for the cultivars Idilerou Odohoungboand Molekangan and also revealed that farmers surveyedhave good knowledge on cyanide content of cassava cultivarsaccording to their perception of their bitter taste Even thoughthese three cultivars could be ranged among slightly poi-sonous cassava cultivars it is generally known that cyanidecould almost be removed by proper processing of cassava root[24] The gari and tapioca thus produced was free of toxicitysince cyanide content was not detected

33 Sensory Properties of Gari and Tapioca Derived fromthe Three Selected Cultivars Table 5 presented the sensoryprofiles of gari and tapioca from each of three selected cassavacultivars There is no significant difference between cultivarsIdilerou and Odohoungbo in terms of taste of gari and tasteof tapioca The gari from cultivars Idilerou and Odohoungboappears sweet for the majority (7367) of the tasters whiletheir tapioca is very sweet for 60 of panelists Based ontheir higher sweetness scored by panelist cultivars Idilerouand odohoungbo were considered rich in soluble sugarswhile they contain lower amount of sugars and appearedas the bitterest These results were in agreement with thoseof Hongbete et al (2011) who reported that bitter cultivarshad higher soluble sugar contents than sweet ones and bittercultivars fromAmazonia have also been found to give sweeterproducts These observations corroborated the classificationused by Bante farmers

For 80 and 5667 of tasters the cultivar Idilerouand odohoungbo present ldquowhiterdquo gari while cultivarMonlekangan gari presents ldquodirty whiterdquo color forthe majority (5667) of panelists The tapioca fromOdohoungbo was perceived as the whitest (90) by tasters

The dirty white color of gari from Monlekangan may bedue to its high no soluble sugars content which tends tocaramelize during frying step

Among the products from the three cultivars gari andtapioca from Odohoungbo recorded the major ratio forldquovery dryrdquo by tasters (60 and 3667) According to theobservation of [1] low fibers content of cassava could becorrelated to good yield of gari This latest affirmationcould be correlated to the results of farmerrsquos perception ontechnological properties of the cassava cultivars in the studyareaThe texture of gari and tapioca could be associated to thelow fibers content of the cassava cultivars on the one handOn the order hand the lower the starches content of cassavacultivars themore important thewater removing activity (dueto the limitation of the ratio of gelatinization of starches) fromthe product during the frying step which leads to very dry(most drier) products

4 Conclusion

This study allowed us to document the cassava cultivarsdiversity in the district of Bante and to identify the elite andthe most preferred cultivars To select cassava cultivars to beproduced or to buy in advance material for processing farm-ers rely most on high productivity and good in-ground post-maturity storage aptitude Therefore these two criteria mustbe taken into consideration for cassava breeding program inBenin The data of the physicochemical and sensory analysisof the three most preferred elite cultivars are well correlatedwith the farmersrsquo perceptions on agronomic culinary andtechnological properties of cassava cultivars Therefore theirknowledge should be capitalized by food technologists andbreeders For better development of the cassava value chain inBenin there will be a need to identify duplicates and clarifysynonymies using molecular markers assess the proximatemineral and vitamins A and C compositions of all the elitescultivars and evaluate the suitability of these cultivars for theproduction of the other major consumed food products suchas high quality cassava flours for baking and complementaryinfantrsquos flour

Conflict of Interests

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interestsregarding the publication of the paper


Acknowledgments

The authors are grateful to the surveyed cassava producersand processors of Bante district for providing support anduseful information during the surveyThey also thank PAES-UEMOA project for its financial support

References

[1] O R Karim and O S Fasasi ldquoGari yield and chemicalcomposition of cassava roots stored using traditional methodsrdquoAfrican Crop Sciences vol 9 pp 329ndash332 2009

[2] A E Burns R M Gleadow A M Zacarias C E CuambeR E Miller and T R Cavagnaro ldquoVariations in the chemicalcomposition of cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) leaves androots as affected by genotypic and environmental variationrdquoJournal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry vol 60 no 19 pp4946ndash4956 2012

[3] G Y A Koua R Megnanou A Kouassi et al ldquoBiochemicalcharacterization of new varieties of yellow colored pulp cassavaflours fromCote drsquoIvoirerdquo Journal of Applied Biosciences vol 53pp 3760ndash3772 2012

[4] B Rahmi Y Yanti S Mizumachi J Achmadi Y Kawamotoand A Purnomoadi ldquoEffects of drying and ensiling methodson cyanides contents and chemical components of cassava rootsand stemsrdquo Journal of Indonesian Tropical Animal Agriculturevol 33 no 4 pp 247ndash254 2008

[5] T Balamurugan and S Anbuselvi ldquoPhysico-chemical charac-teristics of Manihot esculenta plant and its wasterdquo Journal ofChemical and Pharmaceutical Research vol 5 no 2 pp 258ndash260 2013

[6] N G Amani A Kamenan A Rolland-Sabate and P ColonnaldquoStability of yam starch gels during processingrdquo African Journalof Biotechnology vol 4 no 1 pp 94ndash101 2005

[7] F B Apea-Bah I Oduro W O Ellis and O Safo-KantankaldquoPrincipal components analysis and age at harvest effect onquality of gari from four elite cassava varieties in GhanardquoAfrican Journal of Biotechnology vol 8 no 9 pp 1943ndash19492009

[8] R Megnanou S Kra Kouassi E E Akpa C Djedji BNrsquozue and L S Niamke ldquoPhysico-chemical and biochemicalcharacteristics of improved cassava varieties in Cote drsquoIvoirerdquoJournal of Animal amp Plant Sciences vol 5 no 2 pp 507ndash5142009

[9] A P Agre S Kouchade T Odjo et al ldquoDiversite et evaluationparticipative des cultivars du manioc (Manihot esculentaCrantz) au Centre Beninrdquo International Journal Biological andChemical Sciences vol 9 no 1 pp 388ndash408 2015

[10] L L Niba M M Bokanga F L Jackson D S Schlimme andBW Li ldquoPhysicochemical properties and starch granular char-acteristics of flour from various Manihot Esculenta (Cassava)genotypesrdquo Journal of Food Science vol 67 no 5 pp 1701ndash17052002

[11] B Maziya-Dixon A G O Dixon and A-R A AdebowaleldquoTargeting different end uses of cassava genotypic variationsfor cyanogenic potentials and pasting propertiesrdquo InternationalJournal of Food Science and Technology vol 42 no 8 pp 969ndash976 2007

[12] P M T Akely N G Amani O Azouma and C NindjinldquoEffect of squeezing force of fermented cassava mash (Manihotesculenta CRANTZ) on Attieke physico-chemical and sensory

qualitiesrdquo in Proceedings of the Actes of Conference on lsquoPotentielde Transformation duManioc en Afrique de lrsquoOeustrsquo pp 150ndash153Abidjan Cote drsquoIvoire 2007

[13] F Hongbete C Mestres N Akissoe and C M Nago ldquoEffect ofprocessing conditions on cyanide content and colour of cassavaflours fromWest Africardquo African Journal of Food Science vol 3no 1 pp 1ndash6 2009

[14] W Padonou C Mestres andM C Nago ldquoThe quality of boiledcassava roots instrumental characterization and relationshipwith physico-chemical properties and sensorial propertiesrdquoFood Chemistry vol 89 no 2 pp 261ndash270 2005

[15] H Franck M Christian A Noel et al ldquoEffects of cultivar andharvesting conditions (age season) on the texture and taste ofboiled cassava rootsrdquo FoodChemistry vol 126 no 1 pp 127ndash1332011

[16] S Adam and M Boko Le Benin Les editions du Flamboy-antEDICEF 1993

[17] A A Gbaguidi A Dansi L Y Loko M Dansi and A SannildquoDiversity and agronomic performances of the cowpea (VignaunguiculataWalp) landraces in Southern Beninrdquo InternationalResearch Journal of Agricultural Science and Soil Science vol 3no 4 pp 121ndash133 2013

[18] A Orobiyi A Dansi L Y Loko et al ldquoChili (Capsicum annuumL) in southern Benin production constraints varietal diversitypreference criteria and participatory evaluationrdquo InternationalResearch Journal of Agricultural Science and Soil Science vol 3no 4 pp 107ndash120 2013

[19] AOAC Official Method of Analysis of the Association of OfficialAnalytical Chemists AOAC Arlington Va USA 16th edition2000

[20] B Maziya-Dixon A A Adebowale O O Onabanjo and GG Dixon ldquoEffect of variety and drying methods on physic-chemical properties of high quality cassava flour from yellowcassava rootsrdquo African Crop Science vol 7 pp 635ndash641 2005

[21] E N Ellong C Billard and S Adenet ldquoComparison ofphysicochemical organoleptic and nutritional abilities of eightsweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) varietiesrdquo Food and NutritionSciences vol 5 pp 196ndash211 2014

[22] F J Rohlf NTSYSpc Numerical Taxonomy and MultivariateAnalysis System Version 22 Exeter Software Setauket NewYork NY USA 2005

[23] G R Kombo A Dansi L Y Loko et al ldquoDiversity of cassava(Manihot esculenta Crantz) cultivars and its management inthe department of Bouenza in the Republic of Congordquo GeneticResources and Crop Evolution vol 59 no 8 pp 1789ndash1803 2012

[24] M S A Fakir M Jannat M G Mostafa and H Seal ldquoStarchand flour extraction and nutrient composition of tuber inseven cassava accessionsrdquo Journal of the Bangladesh AgriculturalUniversity vol 10 no 2 pp 217ndash222 2012

[25] A P Cardoso E Mirione M Ernesto et al ldquoProcessing of cas-sava roots to remove cyanogensrdquo Journal of Food Compositionand Analysis vol 18 no 5 pp 451ndash460 2005

Submit your manuscripts athttpwwwhindawicom

Nutrition and Metabolism

Journal of

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014


Food ScienceInternational Journal of

Agronomy


International Journal of



Microbiology

The Scientific World JournalHindawi Publishing Corporation httpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

Hindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom

Applied ampEnvironmentalSoil Science

Volume 2014

AgricultureAdvances in


PsycheHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

BiodiversityInternational Journal of


ScientificaHindawi Publishing Corporationhttpwwwhindawicom Volume 2014

GenomicsInternational Journal of


Plant GenomicsInternational Journal of


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Forestry ResearchInternational Journal of


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EcologyInternational Journal of


Veterinary Medicine International


Cell BiologyInternational Journal of


Evolutionary BiologyInternational Journal of



traders and industries [3 6] and it contributes significantlyto the economy ofmost tropical countries through processinginto various products [7 8]

Cassava root has many uses The roots are processedinto flour starch and other end products (chips flakesbiofuel textile and glue) [9] However the uses of theroots are constrained by some factors They are perishablerequire rapid utilization after harvest [3 9] and contentsometimes detrimental levels of cyanogenic glycoside [10]In Africa improperly processed cassava is a major problemassociated with a number of cyanide-related health disordersparticularly among people who are already malnourished[11] Accumulation of cyanide leads to the developmentof goiter and tropical ataxic neuropathy a nerve-damagingdisorder that renders a person unsteady and uncoordinated[11] Severe cyanide poisoning particularly during faminesis associated with outbreaks of a debilitating irreversibleparalytic disorder and in some cases death [11] Accordingto [12] the potential for poisoning is further complicated bythe fact that the cyanide content of cassava is known to varywith environmental conditions such as drought (leading toan increase in cyanogenic potential) In parallel it is generallyknown that processing techniques are employed to detoxifycassava root and reduce cyanogenic glycosides to safe levels[10] and cassava products that are not adequately processedhave been linked to cyanide poisoning [13]

In West Africa particularly in Benin several cassavacultivars exist and they aremainly consumed after processinginto gari traditional flour lafun and improved flour [13]Cultivars are thus selected and cultivated by farmers based onconsumers preferences in terms of quality which is mostlygoverned by the final texture (particularly the friability ormealiness) and the taste of the boiled roots [14 15] Howeverthe diversity distribution and extent of the mostly usedor preferred cassava cultivars at Bante its high productionand processing areas in Benin are unknown In additionthe technological aptitude of each cultivar in processinginto gari (flour from grated cassava that is subsequentlyfermented for 1-2 days and roasted orand dried) and tapioca(partially gelatinized roasted cassava starch which appears asflakes or irregularly shaped granules) the traditional largelyconsumed products seem to be known by producers and pro-cessors but are not yet documented to be properly exploitedby scientific research The link between physicochemicalproperties of fresh cassava roots and farmersrsquo perception onits technological processing aptitude is not yet establishedThis study initiated to fill this gap of knowledge is aimed atthe following

(i) assessing diversity of elite cassava cultivars in Banteand identifying the most preferred ones based ontheir technological and culinary performances

(ii) evaluating the physicochemical composition of themost preferred elite cassava cultivars for comparisonwith farmersrsquo knowledge or perception on their tech-nological aptitude

(iii) determining sensory profile of the gari and tapiocaproduced with these most preferred cultivars

2 Material and Methods

21 Study Area and Diversity Analysis This study was con-ducted in the district of Bante located in the forest and humidregion of central Benin (West Africa) It covers an area of2695 km2 and is inhabited mainly by the ethnic groups Itcha[16] The district is partitioned in 8 major villages whichare Akatakou Assaba Banon Djagbalo Kafegnigbe LougbaOkoutaosse and Pira (Figure 1) For the study these villageswere selected for survey

Data were collected during expeditions from the differ-ent sites through the application of participatory researchappraisal tools and techniques such as direct observationgroup discussions individual interviews and field visitsusing a questionnaire [17 18] In each village interviewswere conducted with the help of a local translator Groupdiscussions were heldwith an average of 30 cassava producers(both females and males) of different ages In each sitelocal farmersrsquo associations and the chiefs of the village wereinvolved in the study to facilitate the organization of themeetings and data collection Cultivars used were listed andtheir distribution and extent were assessed using the FourSquare Analysis method following [17] The Four SquareAnalysis method allows classifying into four classes and infarmersrsquo participatory way cultivars were identified in a givenvillage base on the relative (small or large) size of the landarea devoted to the variety and on the relative number (fewor many) of households cultivating it [17] Then discussionstook place on each cultivar with the view of documenting itsagronomic technological and culinary characteristics TheFour SquareAnalysismethod is used to identify elite cultivars(cultivated on large areas and by many households) and toassess the rate of cultivars loss

22 Physicochemical Analysis Cassava root samples werecollected from the cassava germplasm maintained as fieldcollection at the faculty of sciences and technology of DassaCollected samples were washed the outermost ldquopaperyrdquo layerof skin (the periderm) and the next outermost layer of eachroot sample the cortex (or peel) were then removed Ametalcork-borer was used to take sample of tuber parenchyma (orflesh) adjacent to the center of the transverse section Thesamples of cassava flesh were ground by Moulinex DPA1 41and the paste obtained was homogenized and stored in arefrigerator (10∘C) for later analysis of drymatter total sugarsfibers starches and cyanide content

Dry matter was determined according to AOAC method[19] The moisture and solids content were determined bydrying 5 g of flour in the oven at 105∘C temperature Every2 hours of drying the sample is removed from oven andweighed This was repeated until stable products weight wasobtained

Crude fiber was determined from the residue of defattedsample by keeping 5 g of sample in a muffle furnace at tem-perature of 900∘C for 6 hours following AOACmethods [19]

Starch content was determined using the anthronemethod [5 12] Starch extraction was carried out by adding3mL of 66 of perchloric acid to 02 g cassava mash for20min and then diluted into 100mL Two millimeters of


Pira Banon

Akpassi

LougbaKoko

Akatakou

Bant e

Bant e

Assaba

Djagbalo

Agoua

Bob e

Gouka

District of Savalou

Districtof Glazoue

District of Bassila

BurkinaFaso

Togo

Togo

Nigeria

NigerN

Atokolibe




0 10 20

(km)

1∘309984000998400998400E 1∘409984000998400998400E 1∘509984000998400998400E 2∘09984000998400998400E 2∘109984000998400998400E

1∘309984000998400998400E 1∘409984000998400998400E 1∘509984000998400998400E 2∘09984000998400998400E 2∘109984000998400998400E

8∘309984000998400998400N

8∘209984000998400998400N

8∘109984000998400998400N

8∘309984000998400998400N

8∘209984000998400998400N

8∘109984000998400998400N

Okoutaoss e

Kafingb e






Sugar

=


(1)




trouble










Coefficient062 071 081 091 100

BEN

TMS

RB

Maboussa

Tatawili

Odohoungbo

G1

G2

G3

Monl ekangan

Idil erou

Ocirckocirctiyawo






















Low () High ()

Fiberscontent


Starchescontent


Dry mattercontent


Cyanidecontent



















GariIdilerou 7667 2333 8000 2000 6000 4000










4 Conclusion





Acknowledgments


References





























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014

























Pira Banon

Akpassi

LougbaKoko

Akatakou

Bant e

Bant e

Assaba

Djagbalo

Agoua

Bob e

Gouka

District of Savalou

Districtof Glazoue

District of Bassila

BurkinaFaso

Togo

Togo

Nigeria

NigerN

Atokolibe




0 10 20

(km)

1∘309984000998400998400E 1∘409984000998400998400E 1∘509984000998400998400E 2∘09984000998400998400E 2∘109984000998400998400E

1∘309984000998400998400E 1∘409984000998400998400E 1∘509984000998400998400E 2∘09984000998400998400E 2∘109984000998400998400E

8∘309984000998400998400N

8∘209984000998400998400N

8∘109984000998400998400N

8∘309984000998400998400N

8∘209984000998400998400N

8∘109984000998400998400N

Okoutaoss e

Kafingb e






Sugar

=


(1)




trouble










Coefficient062 071 081 091 100

BEN

TMS

RB

Maboussa

Tatawili

Odohoungbo

G1

G2

G3

Monl ekangan

Idil erou

Ocirckocirctiyawo






















Low () High ()

Fiberscontent


Starchescontent


Dry mattercontent


Cyanidecontent



















GariIdilerou 7667 2333 8000 2000 6000 4000










4 Conclusion





Acknowledgments


References





























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014
































Coefficient062 071 081 091 100

BEN

TMS

RB

Maboussa

Tatawili

Odohoungbo

G1

G2

G3

Monl ekangan

Idil erou

Ocirckocirctiyawo






















Low () High ()

Fiberscontent


Starchescontent


Dry mattercontent


Cyanidecontent



















GariIdilerou 7667 2333 8000 2000 6000 4000










4 Conclusion





Acknowledgments


References





























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014









































Low () High ()

Fiberscontent


Starchescontent


Dry mattercontent


Cyanidecontent



















GariIdilerou 7667 2333 8000 2000 6000 4000










4 Conclusion





Acknowledgments


References





























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014



























GariIdilerou 7667 2333 8000 2000 6000 4000










4 Conclusion





Acknowledgments


References





























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014

























Acknowledgments


References





























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014


























Journal of




Agronomy





Microbiology




Volume 2014
























research article diversity, physicochemical and

Documents