Effects of Traditional Toubani Processing on Nutritional Composition, Mineral Content and Antinutritional Factors of Mucuna Pruriens

Mucuna pruriens is a protein-rich underutilized legume with considerable potential for food and nutrition security, although its utilization is limited by high levels of antinutritional compounds. This study evaluated the effects of traditional Toubani processing on the physicochemical, mineral, and antinutritional composition of Mucuna pruriens . Five processing steps were investigated: raw Mucuna, dehulled Mucuna, soaked dehulled Mucuna, dried soaked Mucuna, and Toubani. Two independent processing batches were produced, and all analyses were performed in triplicate. The processing chain included dehulling, soaking, drying, milling, dough preparation, and steaming at 120°C for 60 min. Processing effects were assessed using Welch’s one-way ANOVA followed by Games-Howell post hoc comparisons (p ˂ 0.05). The final product retained a high protein content (25.0 g/100 g dry matter) and appreciable concentrations of calcium (624.3 mg/100 g), magnesium (344.8 mg/100 g), potassium (1503.9 mg/100 g), and iron (11.8 mg/100 g). Processing substantially reduced antinutritional factors, with L-DOPA decreasing from 6680 to 94.7 mg/100 g (98.6%), tannins from 8.75 to 0.34 mg TAE/g (96.2%), trypsin inhibitor activity from 40.2 to 13.8 TIU/mg protein (65.7%), phytates from 22.7 to 13.1 mg/100 g (42.3%), and oxalates from 443.6 to 282.1 mg/100 g (36.5%). Hydrogen cyanide was completely eliminated. Pearson correlation and principal component analyses revealed a progressive compositional change from antinutrient-rich raw seeds to a product with reduced toxicological risk and improved nutritional characteristics. Nevertheless, residual phytate, oxalate, and trypsin inhibitor levels remained above proposed target thresholds, suggesting that further process optimization may enhance detoxification. Overall, traditional Toubani processing effectively reduced major antinutritional compounds while preserving nutritional quality, highlighting its potential for valorising Mucuna pruriens as a sustainable protein-rich food for West African populations.