Comparative Evaluation of the Proximate and Mineral Composition of Fermented and Unfermented Sorghum Flour in Kebbi State

Sorghum is a climate-resilient cereal crop of immense food security importance in the semi-arid North West states of Nigeria, with significant production activity in Kebbi State. Fermentation is a traditional processing technique known to alter the nutritional and anti-nutritional profile of cereals. This study compared the proximate composition, mineral content, and anti-nutritional factor concentrations of fermented and unfermented sorghum flour produced from a locally cultivated red sorghum variety in Birnin Kebbi. Fermentation was conducted at room temperature for 48 and 72 hours. Proximate analysis followed standard Association of Official Analytical Chemists protocols, while minerals were determined using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Anti-nutritional factors assessed included phytates, tannins, and oxalates. Results showed that fermentation for 72 hours significantly reduced phytate content by 62 percent and tannin content by 55 percent compared to unfermented flour. Crude protein content increased marginally from 10.4 to 11.8 percent after 72-hour fermentation, attributed to microbial biomass contribution. Mineral bioaccessibility, estimated using the phytate:mineral molar ratio, improved markedly in fermented samples. Crude fibre content declined with fermentation duration. The study supports the use of fermentation as a simple, cost-effective strategy to improve sorghum nutritional quality among smallholder farming households in North West Nigeria. Keywords: sorghum, fermentation, proximate composition, anti-nutritional factors, Kebbi.