Determination of functional groups and nutrients in a local ready- to -use supplementary food by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Abstract

Development of new functional foods must ensure presence of adequate nutrients to mitigate acute
malnutrition. This study consists of an innovative approach for simultaneous detection of chemical
bonds and organic content such as carbohydrates, fibres, lipids, and proteins of a local Ready-to
Use Supplementary Food (RUSF) by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and
proximate analysis techniques. The RUSF was prepared by mixing peanut butter with soy bean oil
into thin slurry. Icing sugar, baobab powder, extruded sorghum powder, and extruded soy meal
powder were added into the peanut butter- soy bean oil slurry and thoroughly blended a the peanut
butter making machine until a brown thick RUSF paste was produced. The RUSF was thoroughly
mixed and a sample enough to cover the diamond crystal on the FTIR was placed onto the diamond
crystal after zeroing the machine by scanning the air at mid-infrared region (4000-400 cm-1).
Obtained experimental FTIR wave numbers and literature-based wave ranges were used to assign
chemical bonds and identify nutrients in the local RUSF. The proximate analysis fat content by
Analysis of Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) Soxhlet method (AOAC,
2016), protein content using the VELPA SCIENTIFICA automatic distillation and titration system
(Model UDK159), carbohydrate content through the carbohydrate by difference method (AOAC,
2004), and moisture by Adams analyser. FTIR analysis detected various different functional
groups like amine groups, quinones, alcohols, aliphatic amines, alkanes, alkenes, alkyl halides,
carboxylic acids, esters, ethers, ketones, peroxides, nitro compounds, phenols, and triglycerides.
Carbohydrates, fibres, lipids, proteins, and water were detected by both FTIR and proximate
analysis. This research underscored the potential of FTIR spectroscopy and proximate analysis as
tools for rapid assessment and identification of nutrients in food science. This study concluded that
the RUSF contained nutrients that could reduce and manage malnutrition and non-communicable
diseases.