Value addition of Cissus quadrangularis stem powder in Ethiopian flat bread: Injera and its effect on Nutritional composition, Sensory attributes and Microbial load

Injera is one of the common foods which are highly consumed daily in all parts of Ethiopia. Cissus quadrangularis has been documented in Ayurveda for its medicinal uses in gout, syphilis, venereal disease, piles, osteoporosis, anorexia, diarrhoea, scurvy, menstrual disorders, otorrhoea and epistaxis. Despite the health benefit it offers, it is not used in East African cuisine. Considering its good nutritive properties, efforts have been made in this study to determine the effect of Cissus quadrangularis stem powder on the nutritional properties of injera. Blends of different ratios of teff flour and Cissus stem powder (98:2, 96:4 and 94:6) were used to prepare injera and 100% teff flour injera was used as control. When compared with control injera, percentages of ash, crude fibre, crude fat and crude protein of the Cissus quadrangularis stem powder incorporated injera increased from 3.12 ± 0.06% to 4.79 ± 0.82%, 2.55 ± 0.71% to 3.94 ± 1.52%, 2.43 ± 0.38% to 3.68 ± 0.63% and 10.01 ± 0.17% to 12.58 ± 0.42% respectively; while carbohydrate content decreased with increased level of incorporation from 81.89 ± 0.41% to 76.01 ± 0.63%. The mineral and phytochemical content of injera significantly increased with the incorporation of Cissus quadrangularis stem powder, except for minerals potassium and phosphorus. The control sample and 2% Cissus stem powder incorporated injera were rated high by the panelists. However, up to an incorporation level of 4% Cissus quadrangularis stem powder, the injera was found to be sensorily acceptable and it also decreased the microbial load of injera during storage.