Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitory and Antioxidant Activities of Cookies From Wheat, Cocoyam and Pigeon Peas (Cajanus cajan L.) Composite Flours Enhanced its In vitro Cognitive Memory Management Abilities

• S. Malomo

  Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704 Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

  Author

The aberrant metabolic activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) are commonly known to result in the dysfunction of cholinergic neurotransmission in the brain, hence leading to impaired cognitive memory, such as in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. This study investigated the antioxidant and in vitro cognitive memory management of cookies produced from wheat-cocoyam-pigeon pea composite flour blends at different ratios. The cocoyam and pigeon peas were thoroughly processed into flours and mixed with the commercial wheat flour to obtain the WCP 1, 2, 3 and 4 (100:0:0, 80:10:10, 70:10:20, 60:10:30) (wheat:cocoyam:pigeon pea) flour blends, respectively used to bake cookies. The proximate, amino acid compositions, antioxidant, AChE inhibitory activities and physical properties of the composite cookies were examined while panelists were assigned to assess the cookie samples. The composite cookies had significant (p<0.05) higher protein contents (16-19%) than 100% wheat cookies (14%), which could be due to combined proteins in pigeon pea and cocoyam. Meanwhile, the high biological value, aromatic and hydrophobic amino acids of cookie sample WCP 3 improved its antioxidant (28-64%) and AChE (65%) properties when compared to WCP 1 (14-38%; 22%), WCP 2 (24-53%; 40%), WCP 4 (26-58%; 50%) and standards (GSH (81%) and neostigimine (82%), respectively. The addition of cocoyam and pigeon pea flours to wheat flour produced cookies loaded with better amino acid profiles and effective AChE inhibitory activities and showed no significant (p>0.05) negative impacts on the physical properties, acceptability and preference of the composite cookie samples. Hence, it is possible to produce better nutritional and bioactive cookies with cognitive memory management functions from wheat-cocoyam-pigeon pea composite flour blends.

1. S. Malomo, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704 Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

   Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Federal University of Technology, P.M.B. 704 Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria

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