Article citationsMore >>

Leaky, C.L.A and Wills, J.B., Food crops of the lowland tropics, Oxford, London, 1977, 80-81.

has been cited by the following article:

Article

Cyanide Content of Commercial Gari from Different Areas of Ekiti State, Nigeria

1Department of Science Technology, Biochemistry Unit, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria


World Journal of Nutrition and Health. 2014, Vol. 2 No. 4, 58-60
DOI: 10.12691/jnh-2-4-3
Copyright © 2014 Science and Education Publishing

Cite this paper:
BABALOLA Olubukola Omolara. Cyanide Content of Commercial Gari from Different Areas of Ekiti State, Nigeria. World Journal of Nutrition and Health. 2014; 2(4):58-60. doi: 10.12691/jnh-2-4-3.

Correspondence to: BABALOLA  Olubukola Omolara, Department of Science Technology, Biochemistry Unit, Federal Polytechnic, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria. Email: olubukolababalola2@gmail.com

Abstract

Gari, a creamy-white granular flour made from fresh cassava tubers have been known to contain residual cyanide (hydrocyanic acid) after processing. Cyanide is poisonous and ingestion of Gari beyond the permissible limit can lead to chronic toxicity. This study therefore investigated the presence of this chemical in Gari samples taken from different areas of Ekiti State in Nigeria to ascertain whether or not they are below the permissible level. Random samples of commercial Gari processed locally were collected from 6 areas of Ekiti State in South West Nigeria and screened for residual cyanide content. The alkaline picrate method was used for the screening. Four of the samples contained cyanide in the range of 2.10-9.10 mgHCN/kg which falls below the permissible limit while the remaining two samples had higher residual cyanide of 11.78 and 15.30mgHCN/kg which is above the permissible limit. WHO permissible limit of cyanide concentration is 10.0mgHCN/kg. The samples with concentration above 10mgHCN/kg are from areas where the cassava mash was fermented for less than 12 hours.

Keywords