Trace Metals, Crude Protein, and TGA-FTIR Analysis of Evolved Gas Products in the Thermal Decomposition of Roasted Mopane Worms, Sweet Corn, and Peanuts

Nonkululeko S Masite; Somandla Ncube; Lawrence M Madikizela; Fanyana M Mtunzi; Vusumzi E Pakade

doi:10.1155/2022/1509569

Trace Metals, Crude Protein, and TGA-FTIR Analysis of Evolved Gas Products in the Thermal Decomposition of Roasted Mopane Worms, Sweet Corn, and Peanuts

Int J Food Sci. 2022 Oct 25:2022:1509569. doi: 10.1155/2022/1509569. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Nonkululeko S Masite¹, Somandla Ncube², Lawrence M Madikizela³, Fanyana M Mtunzi¹, Vusumzi E Pakade¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Chemistry, Private Bag X 021, Vaal University of Technology, Vanderbijlpark, South Africa.
² Department of Chemistry, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, P.O Box 60, Medunsa 0204, South Africa.
³ Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, University of South Africa, Florida Science Campus, 1710, South Africa.

Abstract

The thermal behavior of mopane worms (Imbrasia belina), roasted peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.), and sweet corn (Zea mays L. saccharata) was investigated under inert conditions using the TGA-FTIR analytical technique heated from 64 to 844°C at a heating rate of 20°C/min. The degradation patterns of the food samples differed as sweet corn and peanuts exhibited four degradation stages 188, 248, 315, and 432°C and 145, 249, 322, and 435°C, respectively. Mopane worms displayed three (106, 398, and 403°C). The different decomposition patterns together with the types of evolved gases shown by FTIR analysis justified the varied biochemical and chemical composition of foods. The common evolved gas species between the food samples were H₂O, CO₂, P=O, CO, and CH₄ but mopane worms showed two extra different bands of C-N and N-H. Higher volumes of evolved gases were recorded at temperatures between 276 and 450°C, which are higher than the usual cooking temperature of 150°C. This means that the food maintained its nutritional value at the cooking temperature. Mopane worms were found to contain twice and four times crude protein content than peanuts and corn, respectively. Only total arsenic metal was reported to be above threshold limits.