Use of Chemical Treatments to Reduce Tannins and Trypsin Inhibitor Contents in Salseed (Shorea robusta) Meal

This study investigated the effect of chemical treatments on tannins (condensed and hydrolysable) and on the trypsin inhibitor (TI) activity in salseed meal. Triplicate samples of ground salseed meal (1 kg) were mixed with 820 ml of either distilled water (pH 5.3), 0.67 M acetic acid (pH 2.4), 0.67 M sodium bicarbonate (pH 8.2) or 2% polyvinyl-pyrrolidone (PVP) solution. The material was placed in airtight plastic containers and incubated at $37^{\circ}C$ for 0, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 and 72 h. Samples of untreated salseed meal which had not been subjected to soaking or incubation were run through the analysis to serve as control. Addition of water, acetic acid, sodium bicarbonate and PVP solutions to salseed meal and subsequent anaerobic incubation at $37^{\circ}C$ significantly reduced chemically detectable tannins. At each incubation time, alkali solution was more effective than its counterparts. The effect of acidic solution on hydrolysable tannin was least among the treatments. All the treatments reduced TI activity of salseed meal. The reduction in TI activity by these treatments was similar and ranged between 80-84%. Treatment time effected a decrease in the contents of antinutritional substances. However, the effect of the treatment with the reagents, even for zero incubation time, was quite pronounced. It may be concluded from the present results that the treatment of salseed meal with sodium bicarbonate (0.67 M) is more effective in reducing hydrolysable and condensed tannin contents than PVP, water and acid solutions. Treatment with sodium bicarbonate solution is more economical and easier to handle than acid and PVP treatments. Incubation of the treated material for 12 h is reasonably effective, economical and safe from any mould growth.