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VOL. 11, ISSUE 3 (2026)
Effects of malting, fermentation and soybean supplementation on total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and sensory properties of rice–soybean based complementary food
Authors
Lawan HK, Bristone C, Danjuma S, Badau MH, Igwegbe AO, Maina LD
Abstract
This study
investigated the effects of malting, fermentation, and soybean supplementation
on total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, and sensory properties
of rice–soybean-based complementary food. The research was motivated by the
need to address protein-energy malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies
among infants through the development of nutrient-dense foods from locally
available raw materials. Rice (Oryza sativa) and soybean (Glycine max) were
processed using malting, fermentation, and combined bi-processing techniques.
The resulting flours were analyzed using standard spectrophotometric methods:
the Folin–Ciocalteu assay for TPC, and DPPH, FRAP, and reducing power assays
for antioxidant activity. Results indicate that the processing significantly
enhanced the bioactive properties of the formulations. The fermented rice
flour–soybean blend (F3) showed high TPC (122.00 mg GAE/g) and the strongest
DPPH radical scavenging activity (up to 87% inhibition), while the combined malted
and fermented rice flour sample (S4) recorded the highest total antioxidant
activity (0.34 OD). The processing also reduced pH and increased titratable
acidity resulting to improved microbial stability. Sensory evaluation scores
indicate that all the formulations were generally acceptable. The findings
demonstrate that fermentation promotes the release of phenolic compounds,
malting enhances enzymatic modification and nutrient availability, and their
combined application could produce a nutritionally and functionally improved complementary
food. These low-cost processing techniques offer strong potential for improving
infant nutrition in resource-limited settings.
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Pages:85-90
How to cite this article:
Lawan HK, Bristone C, Danjuma S, Badau MH, Igwegbe AO, Maina LD "Effects of malting, fermentation and soybean supplementation on total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and sensory properties of rice–soybean based complementary food". International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, Vol 11, Issue 3, 2026, Pages 85-90
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