Effect of processing on the toxicity of Mucuna jaspada flour

Raw and heat processed Mucuna Jaspada were evaluated for proximate composition and bioactivity. The values obtained for proximate compositions are; protein: 27.85 ± 0.21%, ether: 5.02 ± 0.21%, ash content: 3.33 ± 0.21%, crude fibre: 6.76 ± 0.36% and carbohydrate: 46.91 ± 0.01%. Bioactivity studies using brine shrimp lethality tests showed that raw M. Jaspada and the processed samples exhibited some levels of toxicity. The raw M. Jaspada gave LC50 of 3.98 ìg/ml, roasted sample extract gave 7.9 ìg/ml, and boiled extract was 8.9 ìg/ml while autoclaved extract gave 10 ìg/ml. The result of this work has shown that M. Jaspada seeds if properly processed by heat treatment could be improved nutritionally for both animal and human consumption.