This study was carried out to investigate and improve the traditional processing method and nutritional quality of the traditional cassava snack (Ajogun). Cassava root (Manihot esculenta Crantz L.) of TME 419 variety was processed into mash (40% moisture content). The cassava mash was mixed into different blends to produce fried traditional "Ajogun", fried and baked extrudates (modified Ajogun)...

Konzo is an irreversible paralysis of the legs that occurs mainly in children and young women associated with large cyanide intake from bitter cassava coupled with malnutrition. In East Africa outbreaks occur during drought, when cassava plants produce much more cyanogens than normal. A wetting method that removes cyanogens from cassava flour was taught to the women of three konzo villages in M...

Starch is widely used as an ingredient and significantly contributes to texture, appearance, and overall acceptability of cereal based foods, playing an important role due to its ability to form a matrix, entrapping air bubbles. A detailed characterisation of five gluten-free starches (corn, wheat, rice, tapioca, potato) was performed in this study. In addition, the influence of these starches,...

RESUMO: Euphorbiaceae é uma das maiores, complexas, diversas e importantes famílias botânicas encontradas na região Amazônica. Esta família oferece um grande potencial econômico, com mais de 1.100 espécies, nativas e/ou bem adaptadas no Brasil. As espécies tem destaque atividade econômica, através da alimentação humana medicina a partir do conhecimento popular. O gênero Manihot, faz parte neotr...

Cassava (Tapioca) is a worldwide staple food consumed by over 800 million people. It contains cyanide which may lead to acute toxicity or chronically may be an aetiological factor in tropical nutritional amblyopia, tropical neuropathy, endemic goitre, cretinism and tropical diabetes. It may also have carcinogenic potential. However, despite nutritional limitations it has many advantages as a cr...

Apomixis genes have been successfully transferred to cassava by hybridizing it with the wild species, M. glaziovii. An interspecific hybrid of cassava and M. glaziovii was left for open pollination during three subsequent generations. Seven sibs and their maternal progenitor of the fourth generation were genotyped using five microsatellite loci previously developed for cassava. All sibs were id...

Cassava starch is used extensively to produce isotropic, odorless, tasteless, colorless, non-toxic and biologically degradable films. The similarity in composition, mineral content, microscopic, thermal, physicochemical and rheological properties between cassava and cocoyam starches being reported in literature, it is expected that, cocoyam could be used to increase the supply in equivalent sta...

In Mozambique, epidemics of the cassava-associated paralytic disease, konzo, have been reported in association with drought or war: over 1100 cases in 1981, over 600 cases in 1992-1993, and over 100 cases in 2005. Smaller epidemics and sporadic cases have also been reported. Large epidemics have occurred at times of agricultural crisis, during the cassava harvest, when the population has been d...