PRODUCTION OF GLUCOSE SYRUP FROM CASSAVA (MANHOLT ESCULANTA) STARCH USING MALTED WHITE FONIO ( DIGITARIA EXILIS) AS ENZYMES SOURCE

Abstract This study investigated the production of glucose syrup from cassava starch using white fonio (Digitaria exilis) malt as a source of hydrolytic enzymes, with a view to promoting the utilization of locally available raw materials in the food industry. Cassava starch was extracted from fresh cassava tubers, while white fonio malt was produced through steeping, sprouting, drying, and milling of fonio grains. Enzymatic hydrolysis of cassava starch was carried out at different incubation periods of 90, 180, 270, and 360 minutes, after which the resulting glucose syrup was analyzed for reducing sugar, total carbohydrate, dextrose equivalent (DE), and proximate composition. The proximate analysis of cassava starch revealed high moisture (60.33%) and carbohydrate (33.16%) contents, with low protein (0.95%) and fat (1.36%) levels. Results of the glucose syrup analysis showed that reducing sugar increased progressively with incubation time from 2.84 µg/ml at 90 minutes to 11.36 µg/ml at 360 minutes. Conversely, total carbohydrate decreased from 37.48 µg/ml to 16.34 µg/ml over the same period, indicating continuous hydrolysis of starch into simple sugars. The dextrose equivalent also increased significantly from 7.58% at 90 minutes to 69.52% at 360 minutes, with the optimum saccharification observed at 270 minutes. The findings demonstrate that white fonio malt possesses active amylase enzymes capable of effectively hydrolyzing cassava starch into glucose syrup. The produced syrup attained DE values comparable to commercially acceptable glucose syrups, indicating its potential application as a sweetener and industrial sugar in food and pharmaceutical industries. The study concludes that cassava starch and fonio malt can serve as viable local alternatives for glucose syrup production, thereby reducing dependence on imported syrups and enhancing value addition to indigenous crops in Nigeria.