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The African yam bean ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ): A neglected crop in Ghana
... In many areas where it is cultivated, AYB is regarded as a security crop for fallow farmlands in the preparation for a new planting season and primarily consumed as staple crops. It is a perennial crop (Nwosu, 2013), commonly or mainly planted by local farmers for subsistence (Klu et al., 2000;Enujiugha et al., 2012). The plant when harvested gives an edible seed and tuber (Adeyeye et al., 1994;Ajibola and Olapade, 2016) which is widely consumed in the South-eastern part of Nigeria (Idowu, 2014) and other parts of West Africa. ...
... The plant when harvested gives an edible seed and tuber (Adeyeye et al., 1994;Ajibola and Olapade, 2016) which is widely consumed in the South-eastern part of Nigeria (Idowu, 2014) and other parts of West Africa. The plant has a large genetic variation (Klu et al., 2000) with new accessions investigated recently (Olasoji et al., 2011;Abioye, 2015;Ajibola and Olapade, 2016;Baiyeri et al., 2018). Though rich in nutrients, it is still largely underexploited (Idowu, 2015a,b;Uchegbu, 2015). ...
... Though rich in nutrients, it is still largely underexploited (Idowu, 2015a,b;Uchegbu, 2015). Nutritionally, the seed is rich in protein with values ranging between 19 and 30% (Nwokolo, 1987a;Edem et al., 1990;Adeyeye et al., 1994;Klu et al., 2000;Nwosu, 2013;Ndidi et al., 2014;Abioye et al., 2015;Ade-Omowaye et al., 2015;Duodu and Apea-Bah, 2017;Anya and Ozung, 2019). The protein in AYB compares favourably with those in pigeon pea, chickpea, Bambara, and common bean. ...
African yam bean (AYB) is an underutilised legume indigenous to West and East Africa with nutritional content comparable to other commonly consumed legumes. The nutrient density of the crop makes it a viable food crop for ameliorating the challenges of malnutrition faced in many developing countries, via direct consumption or fortification and enrichment of less nutritious staples. This review summarises the current body of knowledge on the use of African yam bean as a viable enrichment and fortification crop. Proximate composition and nutritional quality of foods (breakfast diets, traditional foods, snacks and instant noodles) fortified, enriched and complemented with AYB were discussed. The phytochemical and antioxidant potential of the crop were also discussed. Future studies should focus more on awareness towards the deliberate commercialisation of the crop and elevation of its status into a widely - consumed food in all households across developing countries. Adequate experimental design for optimum quantity to be used in the enrichment and fortification of many staples to improve their acceptance among consumers should be put in place. Phytochemical extracts of the bean are also proposed for use in the development of functional foods to mitigate against many lifestyle diseases.
... Contrary to the remark of Klu et al. (2001) on the nearness of the crop to extinction, the ability of the crop to survive in diverse agro ecological conditions of Africa must have aided its continual existence over times. Presently in Ghana and Nigeria, there is a dwindling interest in the production of AYB among the farmers (Amoatey et al., 2000;Olisa et al., 2010). Only a very small sector of the farmers appreciates its cultivation, hence, they are the holder of the crop ' s genetic resources (Adewale et al., 2012). ...
... Two to three seeds are sown at the base of the heaps of major crops. Traditionally in Nigeria and Ghana, AYB is grown as a minor crop in mixed association with crops especially, yam and cassava (Amoatey et al., 2000;Saka et al., 2007). Sole cropping of AYB is rare; it is usually planted along with yams to share the same stake for support (Amoatey et al., 2000;Ibeawuchi et al., 2007). ...
... Traditionally in Nigeria and Ghana, AYB is grown as a minor crop in mixed association with crops especially, yam and cassava (Amoatey et al., 2000;Saka et al., 2007). Sole cropping of AYB is rare; it is usually planted along with yams to share the same stake for support (Amoatey et al., 2000;Ibeawuchi et al., 2007). Scarification is not a practice to aid imbibition before germination in AYB despite the hardness of the seed (Olisa et al., 2010). ...
Food-security and sustainability is a serious global concern in the recent times. Many indigenous food crops of Africa which promises to ameliorate nutritional food insecurities are presently neglected and under-utilized. African yam bean (AYB) is one of such crop with tremendous nutritional potentials. The poor awareness about the taxonomy, agronomy, genetics, medicinal value and productive potential of the crop may be due to limited research on it. The subsistence production of the crop may have been occasioned by its poor acceptability as a valuable crop among middle-aged farmers in Africa. Research information on the crop is patchy in old and poorly accessible literature. There is an indisputable threat of irrecoverable loss of information on AYB especially in old archives. Some quality information on the crop was assembled from old books and proceedings, out-of print journals, pamphlets and recent publications. This review tried to congregate the bits and lumps of information on AYB research into a discrete summary which will create awareness about the future research needs on this crop.
... The available passport information is in detail, in the area of agronomy, geographic and edaphic factors, as compared to other plant genetic resources' activities such as useS"·and ethno-botany. However, these detailed factors have not been (Duke, 1981;Evaluation Porter, 1992) Distribution (Aboagye et al.. 2001;Amoatey et al., 2000) Bambara ...
... In Ghana, for production and use, some legumes are termed minor and others major (Klu et al., 2000). The major legumes include cowpea, groundnut and Lima bean; the others are minor (Table I). ...
... The major legumes include cowpea, groundnut and Lima bean; the others are minor (Table I). This reflects in the number of legumes that had been collected and distributed (Aboagye & Bennett-Lartey, 2000). Factors that may account for the low patronage in the use of the minor legumes include the low number that has been collected, the localized cultivation, and the use of some of the legumes, e.g. ...
Genetic resources information on acquisition, characterization, evaluation, documentation, and distribution of I3 legumes under conservation at the Plant Genetic Resources Centre, Bunso, were reviewed as a genetic resources support component for effective management of the germplasm for crop improvement. Comparatively, in all the 13 legumes examined, detailed acquisition information on the accessions in geographical location, edaphic and climatic factors, ethno-botany, and agronomy have been documented. Out of the 13 legumes, cowpea, groundnut, African yam bean, and French beans had characterization and preliminary evaluation information (qualitative and quantitative) on their vegetative, reproductive, yield and its components. Diversity in the accessions were assessed statistically. Accessions with the maximum and minimum parameters have been indicated. The legume accessions are being conserved at 5-7 per cent moisture content and -18 ·C in deep freezers, and are being maintained as active as well as base collections for distribution, storage, and regeneration. Materials mostly distributed to users are cowpea, groundnut, bambara groundnut and lima bean with passport data. The implications of the information on effective use for crop improvement are discussed. Original scientific paper. Received 31 Oct 02; revised 4 Apr 03.
... Sphenostylis stenorcarpa seed (African yam bean) is an underutilized leguminous staple food in Africa with numerous medicinal properties, which are yet to be exploited fully for their health benefits for humans and livestock (Adewale & Nnamani, 2022;George et al., 2020). The African yam bean (AYB) is mainly distributed in the tropic regions of Africa and is usually dispersed in the southeastern area of Nigeria (Klu et al., 2000;Nnamani et al., 2017). Normally, AYBs are cultivated for edible seeds and tubers, which have high nutritional value and could be commercialized for profit-making (Gbenga-Fabusiwa, 2021). ...
... The plant tuber, which resembles Irish or sweet potatoes, usually lies beneath the ground, while the edible seeds are seen above the ground in appreciable yield (Eneh et al., 2016). The plant is usually cultivated in farmlands or found ubiquitously as a weed in grasslands (Gbenga-Fabusiwa, 2021;Klu et al., 2000). ...
Sphenotylis stenocarpa seeds (African yam bean) represent one of the under-exploited nutrient-rich leg-umes associated with African folklore and disease-remedy claims, that have not been fully authenticated scientifically. The wellness enhancement effect of roasted pulverized S. stenocarpa (PROSS) diet formulations on liver, renal, and hematological indices was investigated. Rats were assigned randomly into five groups (n = 5). Group I received standard rat chow. Groups II-V received a diet of 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40% PROSS mixed with standard rat chow to make 100 mg/kg body weight, respectively. After a five-week regular feeding regimen, animals were humanly sacrificed, and biochemical and histological indices were determined. Groups administered various diet formulations of PROSS showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase in catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxide activity and a decrease (p < 0.05) in MDA level compared to normal control. Although serum creatinine, total protein, and potassium levels did not differ significantly (p > 0.05) across the groups, however, the chloride level increased significantly (p < 0.05), compared to the control. Furthermore, sodium ion level decreased at low doses (10% and 20% PROSS) (p < 0.05) but increased at higher doses (p < 0.05), while serum urea level decreased with an increase in dosage (p < 0.05). A significant increase in HDL level (p < 0.05) and a decrease in TAG, LDL, and VLDL levels (p < 0.05) were also recorded. Also, ALP, ALT, and AST activity in the serum decreased across the groups (p < 0.05), while RBC, WBC, Hb, and hematocrit (Ht) levels were elevated as the dose increased. Normal organ architectures were observed in all the groups. Our data suggest that moderate consumption of PROSS enhances hepatic and renal well-being.
... However African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is reported to be rich in protein and well balanced amino acid content, vitamins and minerals than other legumes like cowpea, pigeon pea etc and is a good supplement for cereallegume based diet (Idowu, 2015). African yam bean (AYB) however is poorly utilized and classified as neglected underutilized species (Amoatey et al., 2000, Idowu, 2015. Its poor utilization is as result of rigorous steps during percent. ...
... The values reduced with increasing quantity of AYB flour. This may be attributed to low fat content of AYB flour (Amoatey et al., 2000).The fat content obtained from the flour blends is lower than the recommended value (FAO 1966). The decrease in fat content is of interest to consumers interested in consumption of low fat food products. ...
Studies were conducted on the chemical, functional, pasting properties of the flour blends and sensory properties of ukpo oka formulated from of maize-African yam bean flour (AYBF) in order to improve the nutritional content of maize and encourage a wider utilization of the legume AYB. Supplementation of maize and African yam flour was done at 100:0, 50:50, 80:20, 60:40 and 20:80 maize: African yam bean flour, respectively. Proximate composition, functional properties, pasting properties of the flour blends was determined and sensory attributes of the products were also evaluated. The result showed that supplementation of maize with African yam bean flour significantly increased the protein, ash and fiber content of the flour blends with values ranging from 3.91-11.08%, 2.90-6.60%, 0.67-1.82% for protein, ash and fiber contents respectively. The protein, ash and fiber contents increased with addition of African yam bean flour while carbohydrate content of maize-African yam bean blends decreased with increase in the level of African yam bean. The values for functional properties ranged from 0.72-0.82g/ml, 99.33-323.33%, 9.01-19.65%, 690.00-978.33%, 0.67-1.13%, 0.484-1.038% for bulk density, foaming capacity, emulsion capacity, swelling capacity, water absorption capacity and oil absorption capacity respectively. Values for pasting properties of the flour blends expressed in rapid visco unit (RVU) ranges from 129. for peak viscosity, break down viscosity, set back viscosity, final viscosity, pasting temperature, peak time and trough respectively. Set back viscosity and final viscosity increased with increase in the levels of African yam bean while break down viscosity decrease with the increase in the levels of African yam bean. The products were highly rated in all sensory attributes evaluated however aroma decreases with increase in the levels of AYBF. Product made from flour blend 50:50 was the most preferred in terms of general acceptability.
... Yam Bean or Sphenostylis stenocarpa locally known as Otili belongs to the Fabaceae family characterized by its fruit (legume) and stipulated leaves. The under-exploited specie is of important food source in Africa, seeds are usually added to soups, made into sauces, or milled into flour [2] [3]. They are grown in countries of West Africa such as Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo [4] [5]. ...
... They are grown in countries of West Africa such as Cameroon, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Togo [4] [5]. It grows as a vine to heights of about 3 m and produces brightly colored flowers in 100 -150 days [2] [6]. The yam bean is a useful source of nutrients for many African communities with a nutritional value comparable to that of the soybean, although the cooking time for the yam bean is much longer [7] [8]. ...
... However, awareness of its nutritive potentials are required in order to increase its current low adoption rate and consumption in Nigeria [27]. Similarly, the African yam bean, Pigeon pea and black eyed pea are all under exploited despite their rich nutritional resource [28][29][30][31][32]. Diversification in the use of the beans can stimulate an increased cultivation and supply of these bean types. ...
... Overall, there were significant differences (P≤ .05) between the proximate compositions of bean types. The proximate compositions are also comparable to values reported in literature elsewhere [32,[39][40][41][42]. Proteins which are essential building blocks of body tissues was highest (24.96%) in African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa). ...
... Ash content ranged between 1.39 and 2.73%. This is similar to the values obtained by Amoatey et al. [24] for nutritional composition of the African yam bean compared to some tropical legumes. Significant increase was obtained in the ash contents of the flour blends with increasing quantity of AYBF. ...
... The value reduced with increasing quantity of AYBF. This may be attributed to low fat content of AYBF reported by earlier authors [24,26]. The significant (p<0.05) ...
This study was designed to improve the nutritional content of maize flour by incorporating African yam bean (an underutilized crop with high nutritional value) and to evaluate its effect on the chemical, sensory and pasting properties of the flour blends. Maize and African yam bean seed were processed into flours at ratios 100:0; 80:20; 70:30; 60:40 and 0:100 and used to produce tuwo, a maize-based meal, its sensory attributes being evaluated. Chemical and pasting properties of the flour blends were determined. Crude protein (9.61- 14.71%), crude fibre (1.34-5.81%), total ash (1.39-2.09%) and sugar (4.11-6.01%) contents increased while fat (4.53-3.94%), amylase (24.18-11.40%), starch (66.66-51.15%) contents and some of the sensory qualities decreased significantly (p0.05) from control sample. Among the pasting parameters, final viscosity and break down viscosity reduced while peak viscosity and trough viscosity increased with increasing quantity of AYBF.
... African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is a lesser known legume of the tropical and subtropical areas of the world which has attracted research interest in recent times (Azeke et al., 2005). It is classified as neglected underutilized species (NUS) legume (Amoatey et al., 2000). The plant is well adapted to withstand adverse conditions. ...
... The decrease in value obtained for the fat contents of kokoro samples with increasing quantity of AYBF may be attributed to the fact that AYBF has been reported to contain low values of crude fat (Amoatey et al., 2000). This makes products from African yam bean desirable since less fat contents implies consumption of less calories which is beneficial from health standpoint as obesity, coronary heart diseases and other illnesses attributed to consumption of too much fat could be minimized. ...
Kokoro is a popular traditional maize snack widely consumed by adults and children in Southern states of Nigeria, but characterized by low protein content. African yam bean is an underutilized crop with high nutritional value, but literature is sparse on its utilization to enrich maize snacks. Maize flour (MF) was supplemented with African Yam Bean Flour (AYBF) and used to produce kokoro at various ratios MF/AYBF (100:0, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40). The 100% MF kokoro served as control. Proximate composition, minerals composition and sensory evaluation of the samples were determined. Proximate analysis results showed significant increase (p<0.05) in protein (10.88-13.11%), ash (1.87-2.42%) moisture (1.72-2.13%) and sugar contents (4.99-5.72%), and decrease in fat (34.25-29.58%) and starch content (83.64-62.79%) as the % AYBF increased. Potassium (0.56-1.41%) was the predominant mineral, followed by calcium (0.49-0.74%) and magnesium (0.12-0.21%).Sensory evaluation results showed a high level of acceptance of the product, the 30% and 40% AYBF compared favorably with control (100% MF). African yam bean is useful for enrichment of maize-based snacks because of its nutrient density. This will create a novel use for African yam bean as well as improve the nutritional quality of the snacks.
... However, awareness of its nutritive potentials are required in order to increase its current low adoption rate and consumption in Nigeria [27]. Similarly, the African yam bean, Pigeon pea and black eyed pea are all under exploited despite their rich nutritional resource [28][29][30][31][32]. Diversification in the use of the beans can stimulate an increased cultivation and supply of these bean types. ...
... Overall, there were significant differences (P≤ .05) between the proximate compositions of bean types. The proximate compositions are also comparable to values reported in literature elsewhere [32,[39][40][41][42]. Proteins which are essential building blocks of body tissues was highest (24.96%) in African yam bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa). ...
Beans are a rich source of nutrients in human diet. However, a number of edible bean varieties are largely underutilized in developing countries due to little or no information on their nutritional composition. The present study investigated the nutritional content of mung beans, African yam beans, soybeans, black eyed peas and pigeon peas from parts of South Western Nigeria. Samples were collected randomly in duplicates across the six South-western states of Nigeria. Common beans were included as a reference for comparison. Standard methods were used to determine the proximate composition of all bean samples. Mineral nutrients and phaseolin protein fractions (albumin, globulin and prolamine) of bean samples (excluding pigeon pea varieties) was also determined. The proximate, mineral and phaseolin protein contents differed significantly (P<.05) between bean types. Highest protein, fat, carbohydrate, crude fibre and ash content was in African yam bean (24.96%), mung beans (6.60%), soybean (62.81%), mung beans (15.24%) and African yam beans (4.30%), respectively. The beans compared fairly with common beans in proximate composition. Mineral nutrients differed significantly (P<.05) between bean types. Calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium (particularly in Mung beans) were in high amounts. Black eyed peas had the lowest total of mineral content while mung beans had the highest. The phaseolin protein fractions were significantly different (P<.05) among bean types. African yam bean had the highest albumin and globulin content (%/mg protein) of 41.89 and 35.70 respectively, while prolamine was highest in soybeans. These results indicated that these underutilized beans compares favourably in terms of nutritional composition with widely consumed common beans in
Nigeria. In addition, African yam beans and Mung beans are equally suitable alternatives from a protein-rich standpoint.
... Nutritionally, the seed is rich in protein with values ranging between 19 and 30% (Klu et al., 2000;Nwosu, 2013;Abiroye et al., 2015;Adeomowaye et al., 2015;Duodu and Apea-Bah, 2017;Anya and Ozung, 2019). The protein in AYB compares favourably with those in pigeon pea, chickpea, bambara and cowpea, the bean is also rich in dietary fibre (Ndidi et al., 2014;Baiyeri et al., 2018;Anya and Ozung, 2019;Nwosu, 2013Nwosu, ., 2014Ajiobola and Olapade, 2016) and important minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium amongst others with values higher or comparable to soy and common beans (Abioye and Omotosho, 2015). ...
Yoghurt analogues were produced using African yambean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hams) and malted red rice (Oryza glabberima). Optimization of the mixture components and process factor was carried out using combined optimal mixture design, viscosity, syneresis and acceptability as responses were analysed. The fitted regression model for viscosity, syneresis and acceptability were all significant (P<0.05) with coefficient of determination (R2) values of 0.9992, 0.9983 and 0.9904 % respectively. The coefficient of variation (cv) values were 0.992, 6.58 and 6.58 % respectively. The lack-of-fit for the models were not significant (P < 0.05). The suitable mathematical models developed for the optimization of the fermentation variables in African yambean and malted red rice yoghurt is highly recommended for the development of a novel non-dairy probiotic yoghurt.
... Nutritionally, the seed is rich in protein with values ranging between 19 and 30% (Klu et al., 2000;Ndidi et al., 2014;Abiroye et al., 2015;Adeomowaye et al., 2015, Duodu andApea-Bah, 2017;Anya and Ozung, 2019). The protein in AYB compares favourably with those in pigeon pea, chickpea, bambara and common bean, the bean is also rich in dietary fibre (Ndidi et al., 2014;Baiyeri et al., 2018;Anya and Ozung, 2019;Ndidi et al., 2014;Ajiobola and Olapade, 2016) and important minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, magnesium amongst others with values higher or comparable to soy and common bean (Abioye et al., 2015). ...
This paper evaluated the nutrient and sensory properties of blends of African yambean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) and malted red rice (Oryza glaberrima) yoghurt analogue. The proximate analysis of the yoghurt shows that the moisture and protein content was significantly (P<0.05) higher than the values obtained for the control. There was no significant difference (p>0.05) observed in the ash contents of both samples. The yoghurt recorded mean scores that were significantly different (P<0.05) in all tested attributes with the control. The mean scores for the sensory attributes of the AYB and malted red rice yoghurt were 8.1± 0.71, 7.9±0.4, 8.7±0.11, 7.50±0.63 and 8.08±0.69 for colour, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, sourness and overall acceptability while the control scored 9.0 in all attributes. Notwithstanding, the sensory overall acceptability of the African yambean/malted red rice yoghurt analogue was liked by the panelists. The African yambean/malted red rice yoghurt is therefore recommended for the development of a novel non-dairy probiotic yoghurt analogue.
... The crop helps agriculturally to enrich the soil by its ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Studies have shown that the underutilized legumes are highly nutritious and are used as food, cover crops, green manure and natural fertilizers (Klu et al., 2000). ...
... African Yam Bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an underutilized crop that is gaining attention as a crop that could contribute to sustainable food security due to its benefits of producing both nutritious leguminous grains and tubers in single plants [1,2]. African Yam Bean (AYB) has been reported to produce grains and tubers which have protein more than 2 times the amount in potato and higher than in yam and cassava and amino acid value higher than the value in pigeon pea, cowpea, and bambara groundnut [3]. ...
Background
African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an underutilized crop that has the potential to contribute to sustainable food security. In October 2021, more than 90% African Yam Bean (AYB) plants showed typical virus symptoms of mosaic and necrosis in the grain legumes field of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Nigeria.Methods and resultsSubsequently, leaf samples were collected and tested by ELISA and PCR to identify the virus species. Anti-BCMV and anti-potyvirus antibodies both gave positive results when symptomatic leaves were tested, and PCR using primers designed to the coat protein gene of BCMV amplified a band of the expected size (469 bp). The sequence of the PCR product was deposited in GenBank with the accession No. OL763314. The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene had 99% identity with BCMV isolate TN2 (KY044818). The identities of the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the partial CP gene of the isolated virus relative to those of other potyviruses were 82.96–99.12% and 87.33–100%,, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial CP-nucleotide sequences grouped the isolate from this study (BCMV-IART-AYB) and BCMV-TN2 in the same cluster with other BCMV strains of the peanut stripe (PSt) and the blackeye cowpea (BlC) strains.Conclusions
In this study, we identified Bean commom mosaic virus (BCMV) infecting AYB for the first time in Nigeria and show that it has high nucleotide and amino acid identity with an Isolate of cowpea-infecting BCMV in India and China respectively than isolate in Nigeria.
... African Yam Bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an underutilized crop that is gaining attention as a crop that could contribute to sustainable food security due to its benefits of producing both nutritious leguminous grains and tubers in single plants [1,2]. African Yam Bean (AYB) has been reported to produce grains and tubers which have protein more than 2 times the amount in potato and higher than in yam and cassava and amino acid value higher than the value in pigeon pea, cowpea, and bambara groundnut [3]. ...
African yam bean ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ) is one of the underutilized crops that has the potential to help sustain food security in this era. In October 2021, more than 90% African Yam Bean (AYB) plants in the grain legumes field of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Nigeria showed typical virus symptoms of mosaic and necrosis. To identify the virus leaf sasmples were subjected to ELISA and PCR tests. The symptomatic leaves were positive for anti-BCMV and anti-potyvirus antiseraand PCR to amplify a partial coat protein gene of BCMV yeilded a product of 469bp. The generated sequence was deposited in the GenBank and assigned NCBI GenBank Acc. No OL763314. The nucleotide sequence of the coat protein gene had 99% identitywith BCMV isolate TN2 (KY044818). The identities of the nucleotide and amino acid sequence of the CP gene of the isolated virus relative to those of other potyviruses were 31.3–99.1% and 43.8–66.8%, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses of the partial CP-nucleotide sequences grouped the Isolate from this study (BCMV-IART-AYB) and BCMV-TN2 in the same cluster with other BCMV strains of the peanut stripe (PSt) and the blackeye cowpea (BlC) strains. In this study, we charaterize Bean commom mosaic virus (BCMV) infecting AYB in Nigeria and show that it has low nucleotide and amino acid identity with an Isolate of cowpea-infecting BCMV in Nigeria.
... found that albumin and globulin are the most common proteins that are present in AYB seeds. Its seeds are also rich in carbohydrates (Oshodi et al., 1997;Klu et al., 2000;Ndidi et al., 2014;Ajibola and Olapade, 2016), dietary fiber (Ndidi et al., 2014;Baiyeri et al., 2018;Anya and Ozung, 2019), and high levels of essential amino acid present in the protein, especially lysine and methionine levels (Okigbo, 1973;NRC., 2007;Ade-Omowaye et al., 2015;Chinonyerem et al., 2017). The AYB is also a source of essential minerals, namely, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc, in which the content is either higher or comparable to soybean and common bean (Adamu et al., 2015). ...
In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), both crop production and the hidden hunger index (HHI, a combination of zinc, iron, and vitamin A deficiency), continue to be worse than the rest of the world. Currently, 31 out of 36 countries of SSA show the highest HHI. At the same time, several studies show climate change as a major constraint to agriculture productivity and a significant threat to SSA food security without significant action regarding adaptation. The food security of SSA is dependent on a few major crops, with many of them providing largely only an energy source in the diet. To address this, crop diversification and climate-resilient crops that have adaptation to climate change can be used and one route toward this is promoting the cultivation of African orphan (neglected or underutilized) crops. These crops, particularly legumes, have the potential to improve food and nutrition security in SSA due to their cultural linkage with the regional food habits of the communities, nutritionally rich food, untapped genetic diversity, and adaptation to harsh climate conditions and poor marginal soils. Despite the wide distribution of orphan legumes across the landscape of SSA, these important crop species are characterized by low yield and decreasing utilization due in part to a lack of improved varieties and a lack of adequate research attention. Genomic-assisted breeding (GAB) can contribute to developing improved varieties that yield more, have improved resilience, and high nutritional value. The availability of large and diverse collections of germplasm is an essential resource for crop improvement. In the Genetic Resources Center of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, the collections of orphan legumes, particularly the Bambara groundnut, African yambean, and Kersting's groundnut, have been characterized and evaluated for their key traits, and new collections are being undertaken to fill gaps and to widen the genetic diversity available to underpin breeding that can be further utilized with GAB tools to develop faster and cost-effective climate-resilient cultivars with a high nutrition value for SSA farmers. However, a greater investment of resources is required for applying modern breeding to orphan legume crops if their full potential is to be realized.
... Despite the food and nutrition potentials of AYB, farmers' interest in cultivating the crop is perceived to be dwindling 10,12 ; the lack of interest could be linked to identified limitations, including prolonged cooking time of about 6-24 h, the abundance of anti-nutritional factors in seeds, and an extended maturity cycle of about 9-10 months. Understanding the population structure and identifying genetic variations within the crop's germplasm can facilitate its improvement 18 . ...
African yam bean, AYB ( Sphenostylis stenocarpa ), is an underutilized legume of tropical Africa. AYB can boost food and nutritional security in sub-Saharan Africa through its nutrient-rich seeds and tubers. However, inadequate information on germplasm with desirable agro-morphological traits, including insufficient data at the genomic level, has prevented the full exploitation of its food and breeding potentials. Notably, assessing the genetic diversity and population structure in a species is a prerequisite for improvement and eventual successful exploitation. The present study evaluated the population structure and genetic diversity of 169 accessions from the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) collection using 26 phenotypic characters and 1789 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers. The phenotypic traits and SNP markers revealed their usefulness in uniquely distinguishing each AYB accession. The hierarchical cluster of phenotypes grouped accessions into three sub-populations; SNPs analysis also clustered the accessions into three sub-populations. The genetic differentiation ( F ST ) among the three sub-populations was sufficiently high (0.14–0.39) and significant at P = 0.001. The combined analysis revealed three sub-populations; accessions in sub-population 1 were high yielding, members in sub-population 2 showed high polymorphic loci and heterozygosity. This study provides essential information for the breeding and genetic improvement of AYB.
... Ex. A. Rich. Harms) is an annual leguminous crop of family Fabaceae grown in humid tropical region (Amoatey, 2000). It is a vigorously climbing herbaceous vine whose height can reach 2 meters or more depending on the height of the stakes and cultivar. ...
The effects of twosome artisanal wastes on root development, root length and nodulose
biomass of Sphenostylis stenocarpa and selected soil chemical properties of the study
area (Faculty of Agriculture teaching and research farm) were carried out using
randomized complete block design (RCBD). The study was carried out in the Screen
house at the Centre for Ecological Studies University of Port Harcourt Rivers State,
Nigeria between July 2017 and March, 2018. The Carbide Sludge (CS) and Waste
Engine Oil (WEO) used for the study were collected from a roadside mechanic
workshop, and the Seeds (of S. Stenocarpa) used were purchased from mile 3 market in
Port-Harcourt. The Soil baseline analysis prior vegetation with S. Stenocarpa (SBAV)
was obtained, and the loamy soil was filled into 25 planting bags, each bag weighted
5000g. Carbide Sludge (CS) and Waste Engine Oil (WEO) were measured in relative
amounts of 150g of CS, 100g of CS and 50ml of WEO, 50g of CS and 100ml of WEO,
and 150ml of WEO alongside a Control soil and replicated five times. Each treatment has
five replicates in RCBD. Three seeds of S. stenocarpa were planted in each bag and later
thinned down to one seedling per bag at one week after germination. Results revealed
that CS and WEO were markedly reduced (P<05) in the below-the-ground parts of S.
stenocarpa in terms of root length, root biomass, nodule count, and the chemical
properties of the soil in the study area. The effect varies with pollutant concentration and
type. The least reduction of mean nodule count (2±0.9), root length (9.04± 0.2cm), root
fresh weight (2.7 ±0.7 g) and root dry weight (1.21±0.5 g) was observed in the 150 ml
WEO as compared to their respective controls of root nodule (118.4±3.2), root length
(59.78±3.4 cm), fresh weight (32.25±2.1 g) and root dry weight (21.48±0.4 g). CS and
WEO also changed the chemical properties (pH, Total Organic Matter, Total
Hydrocarbon, Electrical Conductivity, Organic Nitrogen, Organic Phosphorus and
Potassium ion concentration) of the soil. These increased with increase in the concentrate
of the pollutants. The study reveals that WEO and CS had adverse effect on the belowthe-
ground parts of the investigated plant and selected soil chemical properties with more
toxicity by WEO than CS especially at high concentration.
... The sphenostylis stenocarpa stretch within the latitudes of 15 o North to 15 o south and the longitudes of 15 o West to 40 o East of Africa [17][18] . The following geographical locations are area where S. stenocarpa is cultivated in Africa: Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Zaire, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Togo, Angola, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe) [19] . ...
Spenostylis stenocarpa popularly known as African yam bean is a neglected legume despite its nutritional potentials. The seeds are consumed in the southeastern parts of Nigeria either cooked as porridge or roasted as snacks. In traditional medicine, the powdered seeds are reported to be used in the management of high blood pressure diabetes, high cholesterol, stroke and induction of milk production in lactating women. The current review examines, in general terms, the botany, trado-medicinal, pharmacological potentials and chemical constituents of S. stenocarpa seeds. The information was sourced from scientific investigation dumped on goggle scholar, research gate, science direct and pubmed data base. The phytochemical constituents of the seed extract as reported include alkaloids, tannins, flavonoids, steroids, phenolics and fatty acid esters. Solvent extract of the seeds has been reported to possess good therapeutic potentials as antidiabetics, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, hematological and hepato-renal activities. Additionally, there is need for thorough research on the standardization of the powder and extract of S. stenocarpa seeds for better therapeutic applications. Also, isolation and structure elucidation of the bioactive constituents which might be responsible for the observed pharmacological activities needs to be done. These documented scientific investigations have corroborated the trado-medicinal uses of S. stenocarpa seeds. Introduction Medicinal plants have been used in traditional medicine for the primary healthcare of most communities in both the developing and underdeveloped countries. In some countries, medicinal plants are recommended as an alternative medicine [1] while in some, they are used as first-line therapies. Medicinal plants contain various secondary metabolites that can be used for its therapeutic properties and can be used as precursors for the synthesis of new drugs [2-3]. The most important of these secondary metabolites of medicinal plants are alkaloids, flavonoids, saponins, terpenoids, tannins, steroids and polyphenols [4-5]. Several researchers have carried out pharmacological investigations to substantiate the acclaimed therapeutic potentials of medicinal plants. Currently some drugs from medicinal plants are employed in the mainstream medicine for treatment of diseases. Outstanding among these are; artemisinin from Artemisia annua used in the treatment of malaria [6] , vincristine and vinblastine isolated from Catharanthus roseus used in treatment of cancer [7] , and silymarin isolated from Silybum marianum used to treat liver disorder [8]. Such proven therapeutic potentials of plant sources remedies have instigated scientist to search for plants with potentials in treatment and management of various other disease ravaging mankind. Sphenostylis stenocarpa (ex. A. Rich) Harms, (Family: Fabaceae) popularly known as African yam bean (AYB) in English, is an underutilized leguminous plant of West African origin. Sphenostylis stenocarpa is a vigorously climbing herbaceous vine whose height can reach 1.5-3 metres or more depending on the height of the stakes and cultivar [9]. The crop produces many branches which also twine strongly on available stakes. The vegetative growing stage is noted with profound production of trifoliate leaves. The terminal leaflets could be up to 14 cm long and 5 cm broad. The pollen grains had tricolporate, fenestrate and scabrateexine. It was further noted that the pollen grain had three colpus which were characteristically large with window-like spaces lacking a tectum. The pollen grains were single reticulate, slightly rounded without sharp corners, the spinous cover was interrupted by three protuberances (germpores) in a fixed geometrical pattern [10]. The flower seems to exhibit self-pollination and flowers profusely in 100 to 150 days, producing
... AYB seeds are enclosed in pods measuring about 3-15 cm long, such that a single pod can accommodate up to 30 seeds. The crop is a climber usually grown in mixed cropping with major crops [10][11][12]. AYB is locally adopted and has wide adaptability across diverse environmental conditions [13,14]. Even though the crop is usually cultivated as an annual crop [15][16][17], some schools of thought consider it as perennial [18][19][20]. ...
African yam bean, an underutilized legume usually cultivated for its edible tubers and seeds, is known for its nutrition-rich qualities; however, the crop’s level of consumption is low. The underutilization of the crop could be attributed to several constraints, including long cooking hours of up to 24 hours. Cooking time is an important food trait; it affects consumers’ choices, nutrients content, and anti-nutrient conditions. Additionally, foods requiring long cooking hours are non-economical in terms of energy usage and preparation time. The prolonged cooking time associated with AYB places enormous limitations on the invaluable food security potentials of the crop. Therefore, the availability of AYB grains with a short cooking time could lift the crop from its present underused status. To efficiently develop AYB grains with reduced cooking time, information on the crop’s cooking variables is a prerequisite. This review presents available information on variations in cooking time, cooking methods, and processing steps used in improving cooking time and nutrient qualities in AYB. Likewise, the review brings to knowledge standard procedures that could be explored in evaluating AYB’s cooking time. This document also emphasizes the molecular perspectives that could pilot the development of AYB cultivars with reduced cooking time.
... It is a typical African plant cultivated in most parts of the hot and humid tropical regions and more specifically in southern parts of Nigeria [17]. The protein content of African yam bean seeds ranges between 21 and 29% and for the tubers the protein is about 2 to 3 times the amount found in potatoes [18] but higher than those in yam and cassava [19]. Moreover, the amino acid values in the seeds are higher than those in pigeon pea, cowpea, and bambara groundnut [18]. ...
... The increase in value obtained for fat content of noodle samples may be attributed to rice bran having high fat content, though kept constant (8%), African yam beans flour was observed to contain low values of crude fat. Amatey [32] reported 2.10% for cream colored African yam beans flour. This makes product from African yam beans desirable since less fat content implies consumption of fewer calories which is beneficial from health standpoint as obesity, coronary heart disease and other illnesses attributed to consumption of too much fat could be minimized. ...
... It was later spread to Southern Asia and through the slave trade, extended to West and Central Africa. Fofana et al. (2001) asserted that Lima bean entered the African continent through the Portuguese explorers, particularly to the Central and Western parts of Africa from Brazil during the slave trade (Amoatey et al., 2000). Lima bean is diploid (2n=22) and propagated by seed (Martinez et al., 2004). ...
Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus L.) is one of the five most important legume crops from the genus Phaseolus though it is one of the neglected crops in Ethiopia. There is no national breeding program for its improvement. As it is true for all crops, understanding the genetic diversity of Lima bean is useful for its improvement and sustainable use. Therefore, the objective of the current study was to investigate genetic diversity of Lima bean landrace collected in Ethiopia using eight issr markers. A total of 96 landrace were collected from five administrative zones of Ethiopia from which 106 clear bands were detected. About 95 (88.7%) of the bands were polymorphic. The genetic diversity analyses result revealed that landrace collected from West Wellega showed the highest (0.1864) genetic diversity. amova demonstrated highly significant (P=0.00) genetic diversity among and within populations. A considerable proportion (66%) of the total genetic diversity was distributed among populations and 34% within populations. In addition, the calculated Fst value was high (Fst = 0.66), associated with a low gene flow value (Nm=0.27) indicating lower differentiation of the populations, which, in turn, implied no significant exchange of planting materials among farmers in the studied populations and the nature of the crops that Lima bean is 52% self pollinated crop. upgma, structure and PCoA analysis showed very strong grouping among individuals collected from the same zones and geographically distinct zones. Overall, genetic diversity achieved from this study could be used as pioneer information about the existing genetic resource for future Lima bean conservation and improvement strategy in Ethiopia.
... The protein content in African yam bean seeds has been reported to be between 21 and 29%. The protein content in the tubers is about 2 to 3 times the amount in potatoes and higher than those in yam and cassava (Okigbo 1973;Amoatey et al., 2000;Uguru and Madukaife 2001). The amino acid values in AYB seeds are higher than those in pigeon pea, cowpea, and bambara groundnut (Uguru and Madukaife, 2001). ...
The effects of germination on the quality attributes of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) seed, an underutilized legume were investigated. The seeds were subjected to germination at 25 ºC for 24 h, 48 h, 72 h and 96 h after which they were dried, milled into flour and the effects of germination on the proximate composition, anti-nutritional contents, mineral bioavailability and the functional properties of the flour samples were determined. The protein contents of the germinated flour samples ranged between 20.3 and 21.3% with highest value recorded after 24 h of germination. The fat content, ash content and the crude fibre of the germinated flour samples ranged from 2.27-2.67%, 3.47-3.80 and 2.10-2.67%, respectively. The fat and the crude fibre decreased with the geminating period while the ash contents increased. There was a general increase in the mineral availability with increase in germination period. Calcium content increased from 48.33 to 51.67 mg/100 g; iron content from 6.23 to 6.43 mg/100 g; magnesium from 41.67 to 48.33 mg/100 g; and phosphorus from 141.67 to 146.67 mg/100 g. There were reductions in the anti-nutritional contents of the flour samples with the germinating process. There was about 50% reduction in oxalate content; 35% reduction in phytate and 100% in trypsin inhibitor content. The germination process had effects on the swelling capacity, foam capacity and water absorption capacity of the flour samples. The bulk density ranged between 0.67 and 0.71 g/cm 3 ; water absorption capacity from 196.67% to 178.33%; swelling capacity from 1.77-1.50%; and foaming capacity 39.43-31.57%. Germination of African yam bean seed had effects on the proximate composition, functional properties, reduction of the anti-nutritional content and increment on the bioavailability of some minerals which could help to increase the potential of this underutilized crop in food products.
... In Nigeria, AYB is cultivated by rural subsistence farmers mostly in southern parts of the country. The cultivation of AYB in different parts of Africa has been reported (Porter, 1992, Amoatey et al., 2000, Klu et al., 2001. ...
African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hoechst ex. A. Rich.) Harms. is an underexploited legume with the potential of becoming an alternative food staple to alleviate the problem of food security. An assessment was carried out on the growth and yield of AYB affected by Telfairia mosaic virus (TeMV). Telfairia mosaic virus caused severe mosaic, leaf distortion, and malformation on AYB. Seeds of AYB were cultivated and on germination, inoculated with TeMV and the virus effect at different stages of growth and yield was measured. Results analyses revealed that TeMV caused significant (P=0.05) reduction in growth parameters of AYB including leaf area, shoot height, number of primary shoot branches, number of leaves produced, leaf fresh weight (FW) and dry weight (DW), relative growth rate (RGR), net assimilation rate (NAR), and leaf area ratio (LAR). Results depicted differences between healthy and infected plants with percentage reduction in leaf area, shoot height, and leaf fresh and dry weight at 120 DAI of 41.5%, 48.4%, 29.6%, and 25.5% respectively. Relative growth rate, NAR had reductions of 27.2%, 39.1% 30 days after inoculation (DAI) and 27.0% for LAR at 120 DAI. Infection also led to significant (P=0.05) yield loses: reduction in pod length, pod width, pod weight, number of pods per plant, number of seeds per pod, number of seeds per plant, 100 seed weight. The virus caused insignificant reduction in seed length and breadth, with significant reduction in pod length of 24.7%, pod weight (40.8%), number of pods per plant (22.1%), number of seeds per pod (25.6%), and number of seeds per plant (40.5%). Telfairia mosaic virus caused reduction in growth and yield which may limit the potential of AYB in becoming an alternative food source in Nigeria.
... AYB is mostly cultivated as a mixed crop with cassava, vegetables, yam and rice. The tubers of this crop possess higher protein content than sweet potato, Irish potato, yam, and cassava (Amoatey et al., 2000). AYB records a higher amino acid content compared to pigeon pea, cowpea, and bambara groundnut (Uguru and Madukaife, 2001). ...
African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an orphan crop with lofty nutraceutical benefits grown in Africa. However, pests and diseases often hinder its productivity. Twenty accessions of African yam bean (AYB) were screened for resistance to viral diseases and symptomatic leaves were indexed for the presence of viruses. The Field experiments were conducted during the 2015/2016 cropping seasons (wet and dry seasons). The twenty accessions were grown in triplicates in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) on the field under natural infection and the resistance or susceptibility responses were recorded using visual symptom expression. The characteristic symptoms that were highly prevalent were leaf mosaic and leaf distortion. In both seasons, there were significant (P< 0.05) differences in the severity of these viral symptoms. Also, based on the severity of the symptoms observed in this study, 2 accessions were classified as resistant, 16 as susceptible and 2 accessions as highly susceptible. Two viruses were identified serologically namely Cowpea Mild Mottle Virus (CPMMV) and Blackeye Cowpea Mosaic Virus (BlCMV). The sources of resistance identified in this study would be useful for breeders in developing virus resistant varieties for African yam bean improvement. Keywords: African yam bean, Virus, Symptoms, ACP-Elisa, Screening.
... African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an herbaceous leguminous plant occurring throughout tropical Africa, which is often cited among the lesser-known and under-exploited species [1]. It is a grain legume which is a good source of protein and energy cultivated in South-Eastern Nigeria for its edible seeds, but cultivated in Central African Republic, Zaire, East Africa and Ethiopia for its tubers. ...
The aim of this work was to evaluate the engineering properties of two selected varieties of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) seeds-The brown-coated and white testa seed varieties. Physical dimensions (length, width, thickness, weight, volume, amongst other parameters) of the selected test seeds were measured using appropriate devices. Established mathematical formulae were used in the computation of the data generated to deduce several relevant engineering properties of the seeds. The values derived for all parameters are presented in this work. From the results obtained, the mean values for length, width and thickness (all in mm) were generally lower for the white variety than for the brown variety. The average arithmetic and geometric mean diameter values further confirmed this, as was evident from the bigger sizes of the brown seeds compared to the white species. The mean sphericity values for both seeds implied that both seeds were closer to a sphere in shape, though the white seed type had a higher tendency to roll when placed at a particular orientation to improve emptying (as in hopper or conveyor belt/inclined plane platforms). The specific surface and mean surface areas suggested that both seed varieties would fall through a stream of air at the right velocity while lighter/irregularly-shaped chaff/extraneous matter are blown away during pneumatic separation (such as aspiration/winnowing processes) or remain on the belt during pneumatic conveyance. The mean values for volume, bulk density solid density, 1,000-seed mass, unit mass and porosity values indicated that the seeds will not float in water and these values would help to separate unwanted particles from the seeds during wet cleaning on the basis of buoyancy differences. Though, more seeds of the white variety would occupy the same space than the seeds with brown seed coat. The values of angle of repose suggested that the seeds would readily form heaps during collection/packaging and flow out readily during emptying of the holding vessel. The coefficient of static friction on various surfaces (plywood, glass, stainless steel, aluminium, planed wood surface and formica) was indicative of the trend of increased resistance to sliding of the bulk seeds when placed on the respective surfaces. This would be useful in the design of conveying devices like raw materials' reception plane, processing machine hoppers or agricultural machine (planter) hoppers. All the values generated may be exploited in the design and fabrication of equipment to manage, convey, process, contain or preserve African Yam bean seeds.
... African Yam Bean produces grains and tubers which are of high nutritional value and great economic importance [3]. The protein in the tuber of AYB is about two to three times the amount in sweet potato or Irish potato and higher than in yam and cassava [4]. The amino acid value in pigeon pea, cowpea, and bambara groundnut are lower to that in AYB grains [5]. ...
African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an underutilized leguminous crop in the tropics with lofty nutritional value widely cultivated in the rural parts of Southern and Western Nigeria. This study was conducted to screen 20 accessions of AYB for resistance to these diseases, identify associated fungi and also determine the best cropping season to cultivate the crop with minimal infection. Field trials were conducted at the Teaching and Research Farm of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta during 2015/2016 cropping seasons (wet and dry seasons). The experiment was laid out in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. During the wet season, flower bud rot and pod rot incidence were greater than 50 % among all accessions except in TSS 23 for pod rot. Disease severity of flower bud rot was not significantly (P ≥ 0.05) different among the AYB accessions, while the severity of pod rot was significantly (P ≤ 0.05) different among the AYB accessions. Eighteen accessions out of the 20 accessions assessed for resistance were found to be highly susceptible to flower bud infection, while 11 accessions showed resistance to pod rot infection during the wet season. However, all accessions did not produce flower buds and pods in the dry season. Seventeen fungi species belonging to thirteen genera were morphologically identified to be associated with the AYB flower bud and pod rot. This study provides baseline information for breeders on breeding for resistance to these diseases for disease management programme. Keywords: African yam bean, Accession, Disease, Fungi, Flower bud rot, Pod rot
... The leaf litter from African yam bean is a good source material for soil improvement, while the nodules have potential for fixing nitrogen into the soil. Nutritionally, AYB tubers have been reported to contain more than twice the quantity of protein that could be obtained in sweet and Irish potatoes and even more than those in yam and Cassava, respectively (Amoatey et al., 2000;Ekpo (2006). Similarly, the quantity of amino acid in AYB compares favourably with whole chicken egg. ...
To assess minerals and nutritional constituent in seeds and tubers of African Yam Bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hoshst ex A. Rich), ten accessions of African yam beans coded as AY01, AY02, AY03, AY04, AY05, AY06, AY07, AY08, AY09 and AY10 of AYB were grown in pots (15 L; 10 kg soil) using complete randomized design (r=4) in I.A.R&T, Moor Plantation Ibadan. At maturity, seeds and tubers harvested were processed and analysed using laboratory procedures to determine the mineral and nutrient constituents. Results obtained showed that minerals and food constituents in seeds and tubers of AYB accessions varied significantly (p<0.001). The seeds of AYB contain higher N, Ca, Na, Mg and K than tubers, while the tubers had more P and Zn than AYB seeds. The seeds had more crude protein, crude fat and total ash than the tubers while the tubers had more crude fiber, carbohydrate and moisture content than the seeds. Each of the accessions also showed variations in the mineral and nutrient constituents (p<0.001). Accession AY10 with the highest seed Nitrogen content had least seed Phosphorus. Accession AY03 had highest tubers and seeds Zinc composition compared to other AYB accessions. Highly significant variation exists in the mineral and nutrient composition of seeds and tubers of AYB. The information obtained in this study is valuable for germplasm collection, conservation and genetic improvement of AYB.
... The leaf litter from African yam bean is a good source material for soil improvement, while the nodules have potential for fixing nitrogen into the soil. Nutritionally, AYB tubers have been reported to contain more than twice the quantity of protein that could be obtained in sweet and Irish potatoes and even more than those in yam and Cassava, respectively (Amoatey et al., 2000;Ekpo (2006). Similarly, the quantity of amino acid in AYB compares favourably with whole chicken egg. ...
To assess minerals and nutritional constituent in seeds and tubers of African Yam Bean (AYB) (Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hoshst ex A. Rich), ten accessions of African yam beans coded as AY01, AY02, AY03, AY04, AY05, AY06, AY07, AY08, AY09 and AY10 of AYB were grown in pots (15 L; 10 kg soil) using complete randomized design (r=4) in I.A.R&T, Moor Plantation Ibadan. At maturity, seeds and tubers harvested were processed and analysed using laboratory procedures to determine the mineral and nutrient constituents. Results obtained showed that minerals and food constituents in seeds and tubers of AYB accessions varied significantly (p<0.001). The seeds of AYB contain higher N, Ca, Na, Mg and K than tubers, while the tubers had more P and Zn than AYB seeds. The seeds had more crude protein, crude fat and total ash than the tubers while the tubers had more crude fiber, carbohydrate and moisture content than the seeds. Each of the accessions also showed variations in the mineral and nutrient constituents (p<0.001). Accession AY10 with the highest seed Nitrogen content had least seed Phosphorus. Accession AY03 had highest tubers and seeds Zinc composition compared to other AYB accessions. Highly significant variation exists in the mineral and nutrient composition of seeds and tubers of AYB. The information obtained in this study is valuable for germplasm collection, conservation and genetic improvement of AYB.
... This is then wrapped into plantain leaves and boiled and then eaten as turban just like "Okpa" some also mix the flour with comparatively higher than what could be obtained in most tubers. The protein in the tuber of AYB is more than twice that in sweet potatoes (Cipomas batatas) or Irish (Solanum tubersum) potatoes [15] and very much higher than those in yam and cassava [16]. It was found out from this study, however, that nutritious ice cream could be produced from the blends of African yam bean seed milk and tiger nut milk, this could be beneficial especially to people that are lactose intolerant or lactase deficiency. ...
... The AYB seeds have protein content ranging from 21 -29% with about 50% carbohydrate mainly as starch [17]. The protein content of AYB seed is however lower than that of soybean seed (38%) but amino acid spectrum indicated that lysine and methionine (limiting amino acid in most vegetable seed proteins) are better than most legumes including soybean [18]. In Nigeria, particularly the South South and South East, AYB seeds have been preferred to other legumes in the past because they are filling; however, for unclear cultural reasons cowpea is now the preferred legume. ...
... It could be found in forests, open wooded grasslands, rocky fields, and marshy grounds as weed and cultivated crops [15]. It grows on a wide range of soils including acid and highly leached sandy soils at altitudes from sea level to 1950 m [16]. In the area of cultivation, it serves as security crop prior to the new season harvest of main staples such as maize, sorghum, yam and cassava in the tropics. ...
... The extracts of K application of potassium fertilizer. Also, [18] reported that and Na were read on flame photometer using FP 8800 Sphenostylis sternocarpa has a big potential to model, with acetylene of propane burner. Ca and Mg contribute to national food security, however there is were determined by the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid dearth information on its genetic materials, production (EDTA) titration method with the model 8089-A2 [23]. ...
African yam bean (AYB) vary greatly depending on physiological, genetic and environmental factors, which indicates that there is inadequate information about the yield of this very important but little known tuber/seed legume crop. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate some AYB genotypes for seed yield in acid ultisols. The field experiments were conducted at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Nigeria in 2009 and 2010 cropping seasons. Ten (10) Sphenostylis stenocarpa genotypes collected from different locations were sown into plots of 3.5 m x 4.5 m at 1.0 m x 0.5 m inter and intra-row spacing, respectively. The experiment was fitted into a randomized complete block design with three replications. The results revealed significant yield variations among the genotypes studied. In the two cropping seasons, AYB-03 consistently gave the highest significant (P<0.05) seed yield compared to the other genotypes, except AYB-04 and AYB-09. It could be due to superior genetic make-up of the genotype and its adaptability to the environment. Principal component analysis showed that the four components studied contributed 83.13 % of total variability, while the other principal components (PC1, PC2, PC3 and PC4) contributed 29.52, 27.18, 17.33 and 9.10 %, respectively while PC1, PC2 and PC3 with eigen values that were greater than unity accounted for 74.03 % of the total variability among the seed yield components. Correlation showed very strong positive (P<0.05) relationship between number of pods per plant and seed yield (kg/ha) with correlation coefficients of r = 0.873. The results revealed the importance of number of pods per plant and the other yield traits such as number of days to flowering, pod filling period, pod length and 100-seed weight in determining increased yield, hence they require appropriate attention during breeding and selection targeted at increasing the seed yield of Sphenostylis stenocarpa.
... (Uguru and Madukaife 2001), suggesting its potential as a good alternative to cowpea as a source of protein in the daily diets of the teeming population of people of the developing tropical world. The protein in its tuber is more than twice that in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) or potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) (NRC 2006) and very much higher than in yam (Dioscorea sp.) and cassava (Manihot sp.) (Amoatey et al. 2006). Like other legumes, nodulation and nitrogen fixing ability of AYB has been reported (Oganale 2009;Oagile 2005). ...
Morphogenic responses of two accessions of African yam bean to different concentrations of plant growth regulator supplements to Murashige and Skoog basal medium was investigated to develop a more efficient regeneration system. Mature embryo explants were cultured on growth regulator-free and BAP + NAA supplemented media. Nodal cuttings excised from 4-week old shoots of the regenerated embryos were cultured on media containing varying concentrations and combinations of 6-benzyl aminopurine (BAP), kinetin and α-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). Growth regulator-free medium favored embryo regeneration and growth over supplemented media and both enhanced shoot regeneration and rooting, but could not induce multiple shoot formation on embryo explants. Multiple shoots were produced by nodal explants and the highest average number of shoots (5.3 ± 2.3), leaves (7.7 ± 3.6), roots (3.7 ± 2.9) and root length (3.1 ± 0.0 cm) were obtained on a medium with 0.6 mg l−1 BAP + 0.03 mg l−1 NAA for accession TSs154, while in TSs5, highest number of shoots (3.2 ± 2.5) and leaves (5.9 ± 1.5) were induced by 2.0 mg l−1 Kinetin + 0.05 mg l−1 NAA. Such differential morphogenic responses to culture media underline the genotypic control of in vitro propagation of this crop. Embryo and nodal explants rooted directly on shoot regeneration media, and regenerated plantlets were successfully acclimatized. The efficient regeneration system obtained will enhance genetic improvement of African yam bean by facilitating molecular genetic transformation for advanced breeding.
... Harms, commonly known as ''African yam bean" (AYB), is a rare legume, which produces starchy tuber of sizes similar to those of sweet potato. This tropical legume is widely recognized in Western, central and some parts of East Africa, where its grains and tubers contribute to face malnutrition in developing countries (Adebowale, Henle, Schwarzenbolz, & Doert, 2009;Amoatey et al., 2000). The flour recovered from AYB tuber, which contains up to 67% of starch (in dry basis) is consumed as a gel after hydrothermal treatment in the central part of Africa. ...
Several characteristics of African Yam Bean tuber starch (AYB) were studied and compared with that of a well-known native potato starch (P). The diameter of AYB granules ranged from 5.7μ to 49μ with a median at 19.5μ. During its pasting, AYB exhibited a low peak of viscosity in accordance with its low granules swelling and disintegration capacity. The gelatinization temperature of AYB was 75.2°C while that of P was 60.4°C. AYB was observed to be more stable during thermo-gravimetrical Analysis. Its degradation peak was observed at 308°C while that of P was 303°C. The X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that AYB belongs to the A-type crystalline group instead of C-type as claimed for several legumes starches. The stability of AYB and its capacity to structure starch-water systems make this resource an interesting ingredient for new food and non-food products.
... It could be found in forests, open wooded grasslands, rocky fields, and marshy grounds as weed and cultivated crops. It grows on wide range of soils including acid and highly leached sandy soils at altitudes from sea level to 1950m (Amoatey et al., 2000). The African yam bean like other tuberous legumes is a member of the Fabaceae family. ...
The effect of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) on serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and uric acid concentration was investigated. Eighteen male Wister albino rats were used for the experiment. The rats were divided into three groups of six rats each viz: the Baseline, Test and Control. The test group was fed with a diet prepared with 16% African yam bean, 50% maize flour, 23% groundnut cake and 10% fishmeal. The Control group received a diet without Africa yam bean but containing other components. The Baseline group was sacrificed at the onset of the study to ascertain the initial conditions. The study lasted for twenty eight days after which the serum calcium, inorganic phosphate, alkaline phosphatase and uric acid levels were estimated. The inorganic phosphate and alkaline phosphatase of the test group showed a significant (p < 0.05) increase with the values; 25.154 ± 4.329 and 506.00 ± 51.594 respectively compared to those of the Baseline and Control groups. Also there were significant (p < 0.05) reductions of the serum concentration of calcium and uric acid of the test group compared to those of the Baseline and Control groups. There were no significant (p > 0.05) differences in the serum levels of calcium, alkaline phosphatase, inorganic phosphate and uric acid of the Baseline and Control groups. These observed effects of African yam bean has gone a long way to provide an insight into the pharmacological potentials of this legume especially in the management of gout and arthritis in addition to the already known nutritional properties.
... The seed and tuber of AYB contain different food fractions and minerals that are comparable to other food legumes. The tubers are very high in protein content more than twice that in Sweet potatoes (Ipomea batatas) or Irish (Solanum tuberosum) potatoes and very much higher than those in yam and cassava (Amoatey et al., 2000). In addition, AYB as a profuse nodulator improves soil nutrient through atmospheric nitrogen fixation. ...
Objectives: There has been a dearth of information on the fungal field diseases, which affect the production of African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa) in Nigeria. This study was therefore carried out to assess the fungal field pathogens including Sclerotinia sclerotiorum associated with the crop .
Methodology and Results: Seed varieties used in the study were obtained from the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, Ibadan. Ten seed varieties were planted using a Completely Randomised Block Design in five replicates. Disease assessment was carried out weekly between April and September 2013. The leaves, pods and stems were assessed for disease symptoms and taken to the laboratory for pathogen isolation. The healthy and diseased specimens were cut into small pieces of 3mm diameter and disinfected in 5% Sodium Hypochlorite (NaOCl). Pathogenicity of the organism was done using foliar spray method on a 7 days old AYB plant. (Dinghra and Sinclair, 1985). There was the presence of white cottony mycelia on leaves close to the base of the plant on field as well as round black sclerotia on the leaves and plates in the laboratory. Using the appropriate morphological guides as illustrated in Barneth and Hunter (2010), the organism was identified as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.
Conclusions and Application of Findings: The pathogenicity test confirmed the organism as the causal factor of leaf spots and stem blight of AYB. The organism has previously been reported on some members of the Fabaceae family; however, this probably is its first report of pathogenic invasion of African yam bean. The soil used for planting could be considered a possible medium of disease transmission since S. sclerotiorum is known as a soil organism. This study has shown that AYB is susceptible to S. sclerotiorum
... African yam bean (AYB) is one of the most important grain and tuberous legumes of tropical Africa. It is cultivated as a secondary crop with yam (Dioscorea spp) and other crops in many parts of Africa mainly by subsistence farmers despite its nutritional values [3,4,5]. The seed and tuber are the two major organs of immense economic importance as food for Africa with regional preferences [3,5,6,7,8]. ...
... African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hoscht ex. Rich) Harms), despite its enormous nutritional potential, represents one of such under-utilized crops in Nigeria, Ghana and many tropical African countries (Amoatey et al., 2000;Olasoji et al., 2011;Akande et al., 2012). In Nigeria, it is cultivated mainly in the southern and middle belt regions, but is also found in other West African countries including Ghana, Togo, Cote'd Ivoire, Cameroon and Central Africa (Klu et al., 2001). ...
Local accessions of African Yam Bean, a poorly studied and under-utilized but important food crop, from Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states of Southern Nigeria were studied for variation in seed yield and pod characteristics. Correlations were carried out on the studied characters to determine the degree of mutual association among them while path coefficient analysis was used to partition the correlation coefficients into their direct and indirect effects on seed yield. Results revealed that significant differences (p<0.01) exist among the accessions with respect to the studied characters. Mean number of seeds per pod ranged from 13.27 to 18.87; seed weight per pod from 3.19 to 6.21g; weight of 100 seeds from 22.86 to 36.72g; pod length from 21.67 to 36.82 cm and pod width ranged from 0.79 to 1.05 cm. Number of seeds per pod and pod length had significant positive association with seed weight per pod. Pod width also correlated positively with seed weight in some accessions. Positive direct effects on seed weight per pod were obtained with number of seeds per pod and pod length. The results taken together revealed significant variations in the accessions and provide evidence for effective selection which is a prerequisite for genetic improvement.
... The range of biodiversity remains unknown; the genetic diversity of AYB, like many other crops, may decline in the near future. To our knowledge, only a few aged farmers and market women in Ghana and Nigeria hold and use some seed stocks (Amoatey et al. 2000;Saka et al. 2004). Thus, there is a high risk of genetic erosion as landraces of the crop may disappear with the few farmers still holding them. ...
African yam bean (AYB, Sphenostylis stenocarpa Hochst. ex A. Rich.) Harms is a tuber and seed crop, rich in protein, with the potential to contribute to food security.
To date, available information on the diversity of AYB is scarce. This study aims at understanding the genetic diversity of
79 AYB accessions of various origins. Twenty-four morphological and taxonomic features of high descriptive values were used
and the diversity within the germplasm was assessed by clustering analysis. The 79 accessions differed significantly, with
the similarity distances spanning from 0.0646 to 0.5720 and a mean distance of 0.2820. The accessions were grouped into five
clusters of 10–26 members. Of the 24 phenotypic variables analyzed, variegation in testa color was the most discriminatory
trait, classifying the accessions in the proportion of 25% with variegated to 75% with non-variegated seeds. The ranking by
significance (P ≤ 0.05) of the ordinal variables of discriminating importance were in the order of pattern of testa variegation, basal color
of variegated seeds, and testa basal color. The stepwise discriminant and frequency procedures in SAS identified other phenotypic
variables with significant discriminatory attributes, such as pigmentation of plant parts, seed cavity ridges, and pod dehiscence.
Accessions with desirable agronomic traits, such as longer pod length, high number of seeds/pod, non-shattering characteristics
of pods at maturity, lower number of days to flowering, and a higher seed set percentage, were also identified in this study.
These discriminatory traits are discussed and proposed for germplasm conservation and use.
Strategic development of conservation technologies in plant genetic resources (PGR) is the backbone for agricultural development, food security and sustainable livelihood, now and for the future. In this paper, strategies for conservation of legumes pertaining to the collection, characterization, evaluation and conservation are presented. An integrated approach to legume PGR management in germplasm collection, characterization and
evaluation, together with genetic conservation strategies both in situ and ex situ, for effective utilization is stressed. Emerging approaches such as diversity block, community biodiversity register and biodiversity fairs for genetic advancement of legumes are discussed. Collaborative efforts of farmers, scientists and policy makers in networking, capacity building, information sharing on legume PGR, and policy formulation on seed laws, quality, financing, and private-public sector partnership in legume seed development would enhance the sustainable utilization of legume genetic resources for food and agriculture.Le développement stratégique de technologies de conservation en resources génétiques de la plante (RGP) est l'épine dorsale pour le développement agricole, la sécurité alimentaire et le moyen d'existence durable, actuellement et pour l'avenir. Dans cet article, les stratégies pour la conservation de légumineuses se rapportant à la collection,
la caractérisation, l'évaluation et la conservation sont présentées. Une approche intégrée à la gestion de RGP légumineuse en la collection, la caractérisation et l'évaluation de germeplasme considérée conjointement avec les stratégies de conservation génétique in situ et ex situ pour l'utilisation efficace est soulignée. Les approches émergeantes telles que le bloc de diversité, le registre de la biodiversité communautaire et les foires de biodiversité pour le progrès génétique de légumineuse sont discutés. Les efforts fait en collaboration avec les agriculteurs, les scientifiques, les décideurs, pour le travail en réseau, le renforcement de capacité, le partage d'information sur RGP légumineuse, ainsi que l'élaboration de principes sur les législations de graine, la qualité, le financement, l'association entre le secteur privé-public dans le développement de graine légumineuse,
amélioréraient l'utilisation durable de resources génétiques de légumineuse pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture. Ghana Journal of Science Vol. 47 2007: pp. 59-67
In Africa a variety of indigenous cereals, legumes, and tubers are cultivated as starchy food crops. These include sorghum, millet species including pearl millet, finger millet, teff, and white and black fonio, and African rice as cereals; cowpea, Bambara groundnut, African yambean and West African locust bean as legumes; and Zulu round potato and the Livingstone potato as tubers. Many of these plants are considered as “lost crops of Africa.” This paper critically reviews the literature on the physical, chemical, and functionality of their starches. Information is essentially limited to the native starches of sorghum, some millets, and cowpea. Livingstone potato starch information is essentially absent. Notable characteristics of African starches include that teff and finger millet have compound starch granules. Some of the starches have unique properties which could be valuable. The very small granular size of teff and its functional properties can be exploited as a fat replacer. The high retrogradation of cowpea starch has potential in gluten-free pasta and noodles. Nonfood applications for the African starches should be considered in the growing mining and oil industries in Africa.
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