Effects of Fermentation on the Nutritive Value of Aspergillus Niger and Aspergillus Fumigatus Fermented Hura Crepitans Seed Flour

Microbial fermentation was carried out on Hura crepitans seed flour using Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus. Proximate and mineral analyses were carried out on both the fermented and unfermented samples using standard methods. A physicochemical property of the extracted oil was also carried out. The proximate analysis indicated that the fermented (with Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus fumigatus) and unfermented samples respectively contain moisture (4.66 ± 0.28) and (3.33 ± 0.25), crude fat (56.66 ± 0.11, 60.26 ± 0.23) and (52.73 ± 0.11), ash (6.23 ± 0.25, 6.33 ± 0.57) and (3.33±0.57), crude protein (4.24 ± 0.03, 3.12 ± 0.05) and (2.35± 0.01), crude fibre (11.24 ± 0.22, 11.56 ± 0.05) and (6.68 ± 0.03), carbohydrate (16.97 ± 0.12, 14.07 ± 0.63) and (31.58 ±0.82). Mineral analysis of the samples showed that fermentation with Aspergillus niger increased the Fe, Cu, Na, and Ca content while the K, Mg, and Zn content were decreased through fermentation. The physicochemical properties of the extracted oil showed that the fermented samples have similar values in specific gravity (0.77 ± 0.22) and refractive index (1.45 ± 0.01) while the oil from unfermented sample contained specific gravity (0.88 ± 0.01), acid value (2.82 ± 0.03), iodine value (22.63 ± 0.32), peroxide value (0.47 ± 0.01), free fatty acid (0.07 ± 0.01), saponification value (64.52 ± 2.80) and refractive index (1.46 ± 0.01). From the result, the fermentation increased most of the nutrient composition of the sample