EFFECT OF COWPEA SEED PROCESSING ON INTESTINAL MICROFLORAL POPULATION OF RATS

Abstract

Five cowpea varieties were subjected to autoclaving, cooking, germination and soaking. Soaked samples gave the highest intestinal microfloral population with autoclaved and cooked cowpea seeds having intermediate microbial count values aithough cooking was more effective than autoclaving in reducing microbial population. Germinated samples gave very little microbial population. Intestinal microfloral population was positively correlated (r=0.85; P<0.001) to oligosaccharide concentrations, in the raw cowpea varieties, good nuniber of the antinutritional factors worked complementarily depending on the processing method with the oligosaccharides and thus hai significant effects in promoting microhial growth. Varietal and processing methoris greatly influenced microbial population (P<0.001).