IMPACT OF SOAKING PERIODS ON THE CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF COFFEE SENNA (SENNA OCCIDENTALIS LINN) LEAVES

A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of soaking period on the proximate composition, amino acid profile and levels of anti-nutritional factors of Senna occidentalis leaves. Fresh leaves of Senna occidentalis were divided into five representative batches. The first batch was air-dried under shade designated as T1, while the second, third, fourth and fifth samples were soaked in water for 10, 15, 20 and 25 hours, respectively. At the end of each soaking period, the sample was removed, drained, properly sun-dried and milled into powder. All the processed samples were analyzed for their proximate composition, amino acid profile and levels of anti-nutritional factors using standard laboratory procedures. The results indicated significant (P<0.05) variation for the proximate composition, amino acid profile and levels of the anti-nutritional factors. The dry matter, crude protein, crude fibre, nitrogen-free extract and ash were observed to decrease from 92.40 to 86.45%,17.45 to 15.55%, 13.71 to 12.18%, 3.35 to 1.18%, 37.18 to 35.01 and 6.65 to 4.70% in treatments T1 to T5, respectively. The amino acid profile and levels of antinutritional factors showed similar trend as that of the proximate composition. Lysine and methionine decreased from 3.20 to 1.44g/100 g and 1.20 to 0.95g/100 g in treatments T1 to T5, respectively. Percent reduction for Oxalates, tannin and phenols increased from 5.74 to 46.36%, 6.01 to 38.61% and 8.38 to 25.51% in T1 to T5, respectively. In conclusion, Senna occidentalis leaves can be soaked for up to 15 hours with minimal level of nutrient depreciation and appreciable reduction in the levels of anti-nutritional factors.