Effect of Fermentation Process on Nutritional Composition and Aflatoxins Concentration of Doklu, a Fermented Maize Based Food

Investigations were carried out to determine the influence of spontaneous fermentations as achieved at household level on the nutrients composition and aflatoxins concentration of maize during the processing into doklu, a fermented maize food product consumed in Cote d’Ivoire with legumes, soup and fried fish. Results showed that maize grains contained aflatoxin B1, G1 and G2 and that during fermentation all physicochemical parameters significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreased except moisture and total titratable acidity contents which were significantly (P ≤ 0.05) increased. Fermentation also caused significant reduction in the concentration of total aflatoxins (72%), with the most important reduction in aflatoxin B1 (80%) after the soaking of maize grains. However, no aflatoxin was detected after 24 hours of fermentation until the final product was obtained. Despite the losses in some nutritional compounds, the fermented product, doklu, was found to have appreciable nutritional quality.