GC–MS and HPLC Characterization of Amino and Fatty Acid Composition in Two Locally Produced Complementary Foods for Infants in Calabar, Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24114/4d1qqw35Keywords:
Complementary food, Amino acids, Fatty acids, GC–MS, HPLC, Infant nutrition, Indigenous formulationAbstract
Complementary foods are important foods for ensuring optimal nutrition and growth in infants and young children. They are expected to fill the nutritional gaps that arise when breast milk alone no longer meets the child's dietary needs However, the nutritional adequacy of homemade complementary foods, which are commonly used in many developing countries, is often deficient in important nutrients. This study evaluated the amino acid and fatty acid compositions of two indigenously formulated complementary foods designed for infants in Calabar, Nigeria. The formulations were produced using locally available ingredients: Blend A (rice, egg yolk, apple, and banana) and Blend B (rice, Titus fish, avocado pear, and banana). Amino acid and fatty acid profiles were analyzed using Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS) and High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) respectively. Results revealed that Blend A contained higher total fatty acids, dominated by oleic acid (89,700 ppm), linolenic acid (82,500 ppm), and linoleic acid (46,800 ppm), while Blend B exhibited more diverse amino acid composition, with phenylalanine (39.72 mg/100 g) and tryptophan (12.13 mg/100 g) as major essential amino acids. Both blends contained physiologically important fatty acids such as linoleic, α-linolenic, arachidonic, eicosapentaenoic (EPA), and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, crucial for infant development. The combined findings indicate that these locally formulated diets provide balanced macronutrient quality comparable to recommended dietary standards. The study establishes the potential of indigenous food resources as sustainable, cost-effective, and nutritionally adequate alternatives for complementary feeding and the prevention of childhood malnutrition in low-income settings.
References
Adenuga, W. U., Obembe, T. A., Odebunmi, K. O., & Asuzu, M. C. (2017). Prevalence and determinants of stunting among primary school children in rural and urban communities in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area, Southwestern Nigeria. Annals of Ibadan Postgraduate Medicine, 15(1), 7–15.
Adu-Afarwuah, S., Lartey, A., Zeilani, M., & Dewey, K. G. (2019). Local ingredients can be used to make low-cost complementary foods with micronutrient levels comparable to those of more expensive fortified products. Maternal & Child Nutrition, 15(2), e12725.
AOAC Official Method 2012.13. (2012). Determination of labeled fatty acids content in milk products and infant formula. AOAC International.
Black, M. M., Walker, S. P., Fernald, L. C. H., Andersen, C. T., DiGirolamo, A. M., Lu, C., McCoy, D. C., Fink, G., Shawar, Y. R., Shiffman, J., Devercelli, A. E., Wodon, Q. T., Vargas-Barón, E., & Grantham-McGregor, S. (2017). Advancing early childhood development: From science to scale 1: Early childhood development coming of age: Science through the life course. The Lancet, 389(10064), 77–90.
Black, R. E., Allen, L. H., Bhutta, Z. A., Caulfield, L. E., de Onis, M., Ezzati, M., Mathers, C., & Rivera, J.; Maternal and Child Undernutrition Study Group. (2008). Maternal and child undernutrition: Global and regional exposures and health consequences. Lancet, 371(9608), 243–260.
Chukwu, U., Afolami, J. I., & Adepoju, O. T. (2014). Chemical composition of locally made complementary food standard recipes in Nigeria. West African Journal of Food and Nutrition, 12(2), 1–12.
Coultate, T. P. (2002). Food: The chemistry of its components (4th ed.). Cambridge, UK: Royal Society of Chemistry.
Dreher, M. L., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Hass avocado composition and potential health effects. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53(7), 738–750.
Ejigui, J., Savoie, L., Marin, J., & Desrosiers, T. (2007). Improvement of the nutritional quality of a traditional complementary porridge made of fermented yellow maize (Zea mays): Effect of maize–legume combinations and traditional processing methods. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 28, 23–34.
FAO. (2017). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2017: Building resilience for peace and food security. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO. (2018). Rice in human nutrition. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
FAO. (2022). The state of food security and nutrition in the world 2022. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Fulgoni, V. L., Dreher, M., & Davenport, A. J. (2013). Avocado consumption is associated with better diet quality and nutrient intake, and lower metabolic syndrome risk in US adults: Results from the NHANES 2001–2008. Nutrition Journal, 12(1), 1.
Huizen, I. (2017). Review on understanding of egg yolk as functional ingredients. Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences, 7(2), 137–142.
Mahmoud, A. H., & El-Anany, A. M. (2014). Nutritional and sensory evaluation of a complementary food formulated from rice, faba beans, sweet potato flour, and peanut oil. Food and Nutrition Bulletin, 35(4), 403–413.
National Academy of Sciences. (2025). Dietary Reference Intakes for Macronutrients: Fat and Fatty Acids in Infants and Children. The National Academies Press.
National Bureau of Statistics. (2018). National Nutrition and Health Survey (NNHS) 2018: Report on the nutrition and health situation of Nigeria. Abuja, Nigeria. Retrieved 8th September 2024https://www.nigerianstat.gov.ng/pdfuploads/NNHS_2018_Final%20Report.pdf
Ogbo, F. A., Page, A., Idoko, J., Claudio, F., & Agho, K. E. (2015). Trends in complementary feeding indicators in Nigeria, 2003–2013. BMJ Open, 5(8), e008467.
Qamar, S., & Shaikh, A. (2018). Therapeutic potentials and compositional changes of valuable compounds from banana—A review. Journal of Food Science and Technology, 55(8), 2771–2782.
Singh, B., Singh, J. P., Kaur, A., & Singh, N. (2016). Bioactive compounds in banana and their associated health benefits—A review. Food Chemistry, 206, 1–11.
Slavin, J. L. (2013). Fiber and prebiotics: Mechanisms and health benefits. Nutrients, 5(4), 1417–1435.
Swanson, D., Block, R., & Mousa, S. A. (2012). Omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA: Health benefits throughout life. Advances in Nutrition, 3(1), 1–7.
Uloma, C., Afolami, J. I., & Adepoju, O. T. (2014). Chemical composition of locally made complementary food standard recipes in Nigeria. West African Journal of Foods and Nutrition, 12(2), 1–12.
UNICEF. (2018). Levels & trends in child mortality report 2018. United Nations Children’s Fund.
UNICEF. (2019). The state of the world’s children 2019: Children, food and nutrition—Growing well in a changing world. United Nations Children’s Fund.
WHO. (1985). Energy and protein requirements: Report of a Joint FAO/WHO/UNU Expert Consultation. Geneva: World Health Organization.
WHO. (2013). Diet, nutrition and the prevention of chronic diseases. World Health Organization.
WHO. (2015). Guideline: Updates on the management of severe acute malnutrition in infants and children. World Health Organization.
World Bank. (2024). Nigeria—Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births). Retrieved from https://tradingeconomics.com/nigeria/mortality-rate-infant-per-1-000-live-births-wb-data
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Gregory Elayeche Oko, Chibuzor Onyinye Okonkwo, Sunday Nnamdi Okonkwo
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
For Authors Jurnal Biosains agree to the following terms:
Authors retain copyright and grant the Jurnal Biosains (JBIO) right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY-SA 4.0) that allows others to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material) the work for any purpose, even commercially with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in JBIO (Jurnal Biosains)
Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in JBIO (Jurnal Biosains)
Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
