Nutritional Evaluation of Processed Cassava Root Meal Using Albino Rats

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), a shrubby tree of the Euphorbiaceous family, is an extensively cultivated plant in many tropical countries. Annual production estimate in Nigeria was 34 million tonnes in 2009 FAO [1]. Cassava root is a major source of dietary carbohydrate for human and livestock. It is widely accepted that plants grown in various location produced different quality and quantity of substances. Cassava products had been in use for a long time as an energy source in place of cereal grains for livestock Eruvbetine [2]. There is thus the likelihood of continued use of cassava in animal feeding in the 21st century and beyond. Known cases of acute HCN poisoning from the consumption of cassava are rare, probably because preparation process of cassava for consumption can destroy the linamarase and remove much of the free HCN. Due to the toxic cyanogenic glucoside several processing methods have been used to process fresh cassava root in order to reduce the cyanide content. These methods include grating, sun drying, oven drying and boiling Osei and Duodu [3]. Previous studies reported that ensiling and fermentation are the most effective ways to eliminate cyanogenic substances whereas oven drying method is the least effective way Tewe [4]. The residual level of cyanogenic glucoside in processed cassava would therefore depend upon the processing method used. Thus, this study is therefore designed to determine the energy level of cassava root meal on the performance, hematology and serum metabolite of albino rats.