Influence of Production Factors on the Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Fermented Cassava Dough and Sensory Evaluation of Attieke

Attieke is an Ivorian semolina which obtained by fermenting, pressing and steaming cassava dough. Attieke production remains a traditional activity carried out by less literate women. However, perceived differences in measurable factors and attieke qualities require an investigation of their influence on the characteristics of the pressed dough and attieke. The aim of this study is to improve the quality of the dough in relation to that of the attieke produced. The experiment was carried out on 4 production factors, namely the type of boiled or braised ferment, the incorporation rate of the ferment between 8 and 10%, the addition of oil from 0.1 to 1% and the fermentation time from 12 to 15 hours applied to the Improved African Cassava (IAC) variety. A complete experiment design of 16 samples of fermented dough and attieke was employed. These samples underwent physic-chemical analyses for the fermented dough and sensory evaluation for the attieke. It was found that, except for titratable acidity, reducing sugar content and ash content, the physico-chemical characteristics of the dough of IAC variety were significantly influenced by all production factors and their interaction. Fermentation time significantly influences 60% of the physico-chemical characteristics of the fermented dough. The type of ferment, the oil addition and the ferment rate have a significant influence at 40% of these characteristics. At the sensory level, color, acidity and grain binding with an explained variance of 34.60% were essential for the appreciation of the attieke samples. Thus, these production factors could be considered for the improvement of the fermented dough and attieke production process.

Some Processing Steps and Uses of Cashew Apples: A Review

In addition to the cashew nut, which is the main product, the cashew tree also produces the cashew apple which is considered a by-product. The cashew apple has a high nutritional potential. Indeed, it is rich in vitamin C, carotenoids, dietary fibers, vitamins, sugars and mineral elements where are essential for human nutrition. In addition to its nutritional quality, the cashew apple has technological advantages: the edible part of the fruit is between 85% and 100% higher than that of other traditional tropical fruits, and its juicy and sweet flesh is free of seeds or pits. In addition, very large volumes are available. As a result, the development of this fruit represents a considerable economic challenge. This paper first presents the cultivation of cashew trees and the bibliography of the work done on cashew juice. The favorable conditions for cashew tree cultivation and the planting method were presented. Then, the study highlights the work done on the physicochemical characteristics of cashew apples, the effect of the growing area, the variety and the stage of maturity on its characteristics. It also shows the influence of the processing steps on the nutritional value and organoleptic quality of the cashew apple;as well as the methods of clarification, stabilization, concentration and dehydration. Some uses of cashew apple were reviewed: beverage, food, substrate, bioethanol, nutraceutical, food additive and agro materials.

Production of Cashew Apple Wine Enriched with Hibiscus sabdariffa Extracts

This study focuses on enhancing the value of agricultural products by developing a process to produce wine from cashew apples enriched with extracts from Hibiscus sabdariffa. The formulation consisted of a blend of cashew apple juice and Hibiscus calyxes in a ratio of 90:10 (w/w). The Hibiscus calyxes were added at three different stages: before, during, and after fermentation. The physico-chemical analysis of the resulting wines revealed a pH range of 3.073 ± 0.005 to 3.583 ± 0.015 and acidity levels ranging from 4.018 ± 0.028 to 5.628 ± 0.059 g/L. The alcoholic strength ranged from 13.54% ± 0.036% to 13.86% ± 0.04%, with a soluble dry extract of 7.2 ± 0.25 to 8.1 ± 0.28 °B. Regardless of the stage of Hibiscus calyx addition, the fermentation kinetics and physico-chemical parameters met the standards set for wines.

Assessment of Climate Change Impact on Water Requirement and Rice Productivity

Assessing the impact of climate change(CC)on agricultural production systems is mainly done using crop models associated with climate model outputs.This review is one of the few,with the main objective of providing a recent compendium of CC impact studies on irrigation needs and rice yields for a better understanding and use of climate and crop models.We discuss the strengths and weaknesses of climate impact studies on agricultural production systems,with a particular focus on uncertainty and sensitivity analyses of crop models.Although the new generation global climate models(GCMs)are more robust than previous ones,there is still a need to consider the effect of climate uncertainty on estimates when using them.Current GCMs cannot directly simulate the agro-climatic variables of interest for future irrigation assessment,hence the use of intelligent climate tools.Therefore,sensitivity and uncertainty analyses must be applied to crop models,especially for their calibration under different conditions.The impacts of CC on irrigation needs and rice yields vary across regions,seasons,varieties and crop models.Finally,integrated assessments,the use of remote sensing data,climate smart tools,CO_(2)enrichment experiments,consideration of changing crop management practices and multi-scale crop modeling,seem to be the approaches to be pursued for future climate impact assessments for agricultural systems。