Mild method for removal of cyanogens from cassava leaves with retention of vitamins and protein

Abstract

A mild method was developed to remove cyanogens from cassava leaves that involved three consecutive steps (1) pounding, (2) standing for 2 h in the sun or 5 h in the shade in the tropics and (3) washing three times in water. Four cassava cultivars were used and the mean residual total cyanide content after steps 1, 2 and 3 was 28%, 12% and 1%, respectively. The pounded cassava leaves retained their bright green colour and texture. The traditional method for removing cyanogens from pounded cassava leaves is by boiling in water which removed all cyanogens in 10 min. However this method caused the pounded leaves to become dull green in colour and would cause considerable losses of vitamins, protein and methionine, which are already in short supply in the diet of poor village people in tropical Africa.