KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY,

KUMASI

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY (FST 2)

FOOD ANALYSIS

LAB REPORT 3

BY:

NAME: BOAMPONG NICHOLAS

INDEX NUMBER: 9309019

REFERENCE NUMBER: 20681238

TA: BENEWAA DANSO

BENCH:2B

DATE: 26TH JULY, 2021

TITLE: DETERMINATION OF CRUDE FIBRE CONTENT OF A FOOD
SAMPLE

AIM

To determine the crude fibre content of corn-soy flour blend.

ABSTRACT

This study presents the proximate analysis of crude fibre composition of a food sample
(corn-soy flour blend). Dietary fibre consists of cellulose, non-celluloses such as
hemicellulose and pectin, lignin and hydrocolloids. Cellulose and hemicellulose are
both partially digestible but lignin is not digestible. Crude fibre is the combustible
residue that is left after the other carbohydrates and proteins have been removed by the
sequential digestion of sample with H2SO4 and NaOH solutions under specific
conditions Proximate analysis was performed using standard AOAC methods, the crude
fibre content was determined gravimetrically after chemical digestion ( acid and
alkaline digestion respectively) and solubilisation of other materials present. The result
revealed that flour had a crude fibre content of 1.8067%.

INTRODUCTION

Carbohydrates are poly hydroxy aldehydes or ketones. Carbohydrates as  

 biomolecules consist of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with

a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1. It has a the general formula C6H12O6; other
organic molecules with similar formulas were found to have a similar ratio of hydrogen
to oxygen. The general formula Cx(H2O)y is commonly used to represent many
carbohydrates, which means “watered carbon.” Carbohydrates are probably the most
abundant and widespread organic substances in nature, and they are
essential constituents of all living things. Carbohydrates are the divided into four major
groups namely; Monosaccharides, disaccharides, oligosaccharides and polysaccharides.

Polysaccharides which means many sugars represent most of the structural and energy-
reserve carbohydrates found in nature. Large molecules that may consist of as many as
10,000 monosaccharide units linked together, polysaccharides vary considerably in size,
in structural complexity, and in sugar content; several hundred distinct types have thus
far been identified.

The non-digestible or dietary fiber fraction is a complex mixture of different substance.

The major ones are cellulose, the glucose polymer that is predominant material of plant
cells; hemicellulose, a shorter version of cellulose: pectin, the glue that binds plant cells
together with cellulose from the woody cell walls of plants. Cellulose is a linear
polymer of between 1000 and 10,000 beta-D-glucose molecules in which adjacent
glucose molecules are joined covalently through beta (1-4) glycosidic bonds. The beta
(1-4) bonds cause the polymer to assume a non-helical, straight structure, which is
different from the helical structure imposed on starch molecules by the alpha (1-4)
bonding. The non-helical structure of cellulose also promotes hydrogen bonding
between cellulose molecules. (Gaillard et al ., 1958).0 Cellulose polymers associate
with one another through a huge number of hydrogen bonds to form microfibers.
Microfibers interact to form cellulose fibres. A typical fiber contains roughly 500,000
cellulose molecules. The high tensile strength of cellulose fibres reflects the massive
number of hydrogen bonds involved in its structure. Hemicellulose is a heteropolymer
composed of a variety of sugars, including xylose, arabinose and mannose in a branched
structure. In contrast to the highly ordered structure of cellulose, hemicellulose assumes
an amorphose structure and becomes highly hydrated to form a gel. (Aluko et al., 2013)

Fibres comes in two varieties at they can be grouped into two groups namely Soluble
and Insoluble fibre. Soluble fibre which dissolves in water, can help lower glucose
levels as well as help lower blood cholesterol. Foods with soluble fiber include oatmeal,
nuts, beans, lentils, apples and blueberries. Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in
water, can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and
helping prevent constipation. Foods with insoluble fibres include wheat, whole wheat
bread, whole grain couscous, brown rice, legumes, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.
The best sources of fiber are whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes,
and nuts.
Dietary fibre is important for our digestive health and regular bowel movements. Fibre
also helps you feel fuller for longer, can improve cholesterol and blood sugar levels and
can assist in preventing some diseases such as diabetes, heart disease and bowel cancer.
Crude fibre is the residue of plant materials remaining after solvent extraction followed
by digestion with dilute acid ( H2SO4 ) and alkali (NaOH)

MATERIALS AND METHODS

About 2g of defatted flour sample was weighed using the Analytical balance ( Mettler
Toledo, ML 204) and transferred into a 250ml round bottom flask. Approximately,
100ml of 1.25% H2SO4 was added to the defatted sample in the flask. The condenser
was attached to the round bottom flask and the solution was immediately set on hot
plate and boiled for 30mins. The flask was removed at the end of the 30mins and the
residue was immediately filtered through linen cloth in funnel and washed back into
the flask with distilled water. The residue sample from the acid hydrolysis was
washed back into the flask with 100ml of 1.25%NaOH solution. The condenser was
attached to the round bottom flask and set-up was boiled for 30mins. The flask was
removed at the end of the 30mins and the residue was immediately filtered through
linen cloth in funnel and washed back into the flask with distilled water. About 15ml
of 96% alcohol was used to finally wash the residue into the flask. Petri dish was
weighed using the analytical balance ( Mettler Toledo, ML 204) .The filtered sample
was transferred into the petri dish and dried in oven ( Binder FD 115 E3) at 105 0C for
about 2 hours. The petri dish and its content was cooled in a desiccator and weighed.

PRECAUTIONS

1. Wear latex gloves when adding acid and alkali to prevent acid and alkali from
coming into contact with your hands which can cause injury.

RESULTS

Table 1.0 The cube fibre content of corn soy flour.

Weight of defatted Weight of petri Weight of petri Crude fibre (%)

 sample (g) dish (g) dish + defatted
sample after
drying (g)
1.9594 46.7033 46.7387 1.8067

DISCUSSION

Dilute solutions of H2SO4 and NaOH were used to digest the sample, where the
residue would be left with only mineral matter or ash, and a resistant fraction of
carbohydrate. Proteins, sugar, starch and some parts of the structural carbohydrates
are part of the organic constituents of plant cells, and are removed with the treatment
of chemicals in food, while other structural carbohydrates like cellulose and
hemicellulose remain as the residue that is considered indigestible by the human body
(Jacobs et al., 2015)

The experimental data shows that the crude fiber content of the corn soy flour blend
was 1.8067%. When compared to the literature value given by (Roy et al.,2020) in
their comparative study of nutritional content of varieties of corn flour. The data
obtained by the group were similar as the said amount of crude fiber was (1.84 ±
0.05)

Crude fiber residue contain about 97% cellulose and lignin, but does not represent the
all the cellulose and lignin present initially, nor does it represent any specific
compound or group of compound (Pomeranz et al., 1994). Higher crude fibre
contents lead to lower energy content of food, as crude fibre is considered
indigestible. Determination of crude fibre are affected significantly by manipulations
and procedures, and thus must be executed carefully, through control of the boiling
point, rate of boiling and the non delay of filtration as delays can cause the results to
lower (Meloan et al.,1994). The determination of crude fibre using the acid and alkali
digestion as used in this experiment is regarded as the most unsatisfactory principle of
the Proximate Analysis. Major problem is that the acid and base solubilize some of
the true fiber (particularly hemicellulose, pectin and lignin) also cellulose too is
partially lost. Hence, crude fiber underestimates true fiber .However despite its no
specificity, crude fiber is greatly used in food and feed analysis and is mostly used as
an index of poultry and stock feeding value. It is also used to evaluate the efficiency
of milling and separating bran from the endosperm and also in the chemical
determination of succulence in fresh fruit and vegetables (Pomeranz et al.,1994).

CONCLUSION

The crude fibre content of the corn soy flour was determined to be 1.8067%.

REFERENCES

1. Aluko, O., Brai, M.R. and Adelore, A.O., 2013. Evaluation of sensory attributes
of snack from maize-moringa seed flour blends. International Journal of
Nutrition and Food Engineering, 7(10), pp.944-946.
2. Gaillard, B.D., 1958. A detailed summative analysis of the crude fibre and
nitrogen‐free extractives fractions of roughages. I.—Proposed scheme of
analysis. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 9(3), pp.170-177.
3. Jacob, A.A., Fidelis, A.E., Salaudeen, K.O. and Queen, K.R., 2013. Sorghum:
Most under-utilized grain of the semi-arid Africa. Scholarly Journal of
Agricultural Science, 3(4), pp.147-153.
4. Oladapo, A., Adepeju, A., Akinyele, A. and Adepeju, D., 2017. The proximate,
functional and anti-nutritional properties of three selected varieties of maize
(yellow, white and pop corn) flour. International Journal of Scientific
Engineering and Science, 1(2), pp.23-26.
5. Norfeldt, S., Svanberg, O.L.O.F. and Claesson, O., 1949. Studies regarding the
analysis of crude fibre. Acta agriculturae Suecana, 3, pp.135-177.

APPENDIX

weight of crude fibre∗100

% Crude fibre =
weight of sample

Weight of crude fibre = (weight of petri dish + defatted sample after drying) –
(weight of petri dish)

Weight of crude fibre = 46.7387 – 46.7033

Weight of crude fibre = 0.035g

Weight of sample = 1.9594g

0.0354∗100
% Crude fibre =
1.9594

% Crude fibre = 1.8067%