ANTI-NUTRITIONAL CONSTITUENT OF COLOCASIA ESCULENTA ...

crop. Amadumbe is not extensively commercialized at present, but is mostly grown in rural
areas or on small fimns in Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.
Literature abounds with research carried out on Colocasia esculenta species in other parts
ofthe world, but little or no information is available regarding the composition, structural
activity and biochemical mechanisms of anti-nutritional factors in local Colocasia
esculenta (Amadumbe). Studies investigating these factors could help the government in
formulating food and nutrition policies for South Africa.
The overall hypothesis of this study was, therefore, that if the constituents of various
nutritional and anti-nutritional factors inherent in Colocasia esculenta (Amadumbe), a
traditional crop food grown in Kwazulu-Natal, were identified, this tuber could be more
efficiently utilized in food and nutrition policies for South Africa.
The project was divided into three specific aims to meet the overall objective:
• to determine the proximate composition, the mineral and the anti-nutrient content of
Amadumbe from Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa, in order to compare the factors with
those observed in Colocasia esculenta from other areas ofthe world. At the same time,
the best processing method for maximum elimination of the anti-nutritional factors
would be identified;
• to isolate and characterize some ofthe screened anti-nutritional factors to determine the
structural activity and biochemical properties of these toxicants occurring naturally in
Amadumbe tubers;
• to perform a nutritional evaluation using rats with a specific, identified anti-nutritional
factor from Colocasia esculenta to determine the biological effects of the anti­
nutritional factoL
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