Vol. 2 No. 4 (2024)

The Manihot esculenta (cassava) has an important representation, as it has a high nutrient content and versatility in technological use. The present study aimed to produce cassava leaf flour and use it in the production of biscuits. Cassava leaves were washed in and sanitized. Subsequently, the leaves were placed inside a solar dryer, previously cleaned and sanitized, and exposed to sunlight for 2 days (~30 h). After drying, they were ground in a domestic blender, with standardization of the granulometry by passing through a 14-mesh sieve, and the flour obtained was stored in an airtight container. Three preparation of the biscuits consisted of three formulations with different concentrations of cassava leaf flour: Standard (P, 0%), F1 (5%) and F2 (10%); replacing the proportion of flours. The analyses of cassava flour and biscuits were based on instrumental color, pH and total titratable acidity. The instrumental color parameters for cassava leaf flour were: L* 42.11 ± 0.05, a* −7.88 ± 0.01, b* 21.471 ± 0.48, C* 22.78 ± 0.45 and °h 110.25 ± 0.40, indicative of the presence of yellow and green pigments, in addition to low luminosity. The pH was 5.62 ± 0.40, characteristic of low acidity. The biscuits showed statistical difference between them (p < 0.05) in all color parameters. The pH content of the biscuits ranged from 6.39 to 6.65, with no significant difference (p > 0.05). Regarding titratable acidity, it did not vary significantly (p > 0.05): 0.03 to 0.06 g citric acid 100 g⁻¹. This is a concise presentation of all the relevant points of the study. Biscuits are low-acid foods due to their low acidity content.

In an effort to contribute to the oil crops in Ivory Coast, the seeds of Anarcadium occidentale (cashew nuts) were studied. This crop has a high socio-economic importance in Ivory Coast, and the country is the first world producer, the production is mainly destined for export. A homogeneous and representative sample was taken from different producing regions. Biometric characteristics showed a variation in nut weight of between 5–7 g, with a very good number of nuts per kg which vary from 146 to 188 nuts per kg. Measurements ranged from 2.94–3.25 cm in length to 2.06–2.25 cm in width, with no significant differences between the studied regions. Chemical extraction of the oil by soxhlet revealed that the kernels were rich in fat content on average 31.13%; with a peroxide value ranging from 1.69–6.99 meq O2.kg⁻¹ and maximum K232 of 2.32 and free acidity < 2 mg.g⁻¹ KOH Cashew oil has an interesting chlorophyll content, like olive oil (0–10 ppm), which ranges from 2.62 to 8.12 ppm. This oil is rich in oleic acid (63.80%–67.46%), followed by linoleic acid (16.09%–19.59%), and has a low quantity of palmitic acid (7.62%–9.43%).