The Effect of Fruit Age on the Apparent Kinematic Viscosity (AKV) and Crude Dietary Fibre Content of Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus (L) Moench) and Abelmoschus caillei (A.Chev) Stevels Cultivars
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Abstract
Evaluation of the responses of the apparent kinematic viscosities (akv) of the slurry of six early and three late okra cultivars, to changes in fruit age, was carried out as part of an ongoing research programme aimed at the improvement of local okra cultivars to meet the needs of local okra consumers. The results of the ANOVA showed that responses of all the cultivars at the various ages were very highly significant. The variation among the cultivars was equally very highly significant as well as the interaction between age and cultivar (AxC). The results further showed that irrespective of okra type and cultivar, akv responses decreased with increase in fruit age. The rate of decrease was more rapid with the early okra cultivars than with the late okra cultivars. With the exception of Ogolo, all the other okra cultivars developed crude dietary fibre at the fruit age of 12 days and crude dietary fibre content increased with increase in fruit age. However, as crude dietary fibre content increased, the akv of all the cultivars decreased. Five categories of okra were recognized based on this response: the excellent performers (EP), the good performers (GP), the fair performers (FP), the poor performers (PP) as well as the worse performer (WP). Two late okra cultivars, Ogolo and Oru ufie and two early okra cultivar, Awgu early and Kano dwarf were selected as sources of good germplasm for the mucilaginous character with age. Ladyfinger, which is exotic okra, was rejected as the worse performer considering its other undesirable characteristics. The need for local development of okra cultivars with both high, dietary fibre and mucilaginous character, for the good health of okra consumers in Nigeria and the West African coast, was highlighted.
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