Comparison between food-to-food fortification of pearl millet porridge with moringa leaves and baobab fruit and with adding ascorbic and citric acid on iron, zinc and other mineral bioaccessibility

Abstract

Mineral deficiencies remain high in Africa, especially in rural communities subsisting on monotonous cereal-based diets. The effects of adding locally available plant foodstuffs rich in minerals, namely moringa leaf powder and promoters of mineral bioavailability, namely baobab fruit powder at 15:100 parts pearl millet porridge on mineral bioaccessibility was compared with ascorbic acid and citric acid addition. Percentage bioaccessible and total bioaccessible iron were improved only in millet + baobab and millet + citric acid, by 36%, and 52%, and by 30%, and 52%, respectively compared to millet alone. Only inclusion of citric acid improved zinc bioaccessibility. However, millet + moringa reduced bioaccessible zinc, probably because of the phenolics, very high calcium content and low organic acid content in moringa. Baobab, moringa and citric acid inclusion improved calcium and magnesium bioaccessibilities. Notwithstanding its high phenolic content, natural fortification of cereal porridge with baobab fruit enhances iron, calcium and magnesium bioaccessibility. This is probably because it is rich in both citric acid and ascorbic acid. It is nearly as effective as citric acid addition in enhancing bioaccessibility of these minerals and its inclusion in staple cereal food products could be a useful alternative or complement to conventional fortification for communities in rural semi-arid Africa.