Comparative Effects of Oven and Sun Drying on the Nutritional Composition, Mineral Contents, and Meat Tenderization Properties of Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
A. G. Okenmor
Department of Biology, Federal University of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State, Nigeria.
J. S. Sangari *
Department of Biology, College of Education, Akwanga, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
J. G. Fulani
Department of Biology, Federal University of Education, Pankshin, Plateau State, Nigeria.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is recognised for its rich mineral content, vitamins, dietary fibre, and diverse medicinal properties. This study compared the effects of oven drying and sun drying on the proximate composition, mineral content, and meat tenderisation properties of ginger. Fresh ginger rhizomes were processed using two drying methods: sun drying for 5-7 days and oven drying at 60±2°C for 8-12 hours. Dried samples were then milled into a fine powder and analysed at the National Veterinary Research Institute. A completely randomised design was employed, with six laying hens divided into three groups (n=2 per group): Group A (control, standard feed), Group B (feed mixed with oven-dried ginger), and Group C (feed mixed with sun-dried ginger), over three weeks. Meat tenderisation was assessed by 19 panellists using a 9-point hedonic scale; a separate untreated control meat sample was included and rated as extremely hard (neither tender nor tough, 5.26%). Results showed that sun-dried ginger retained significantly more moisture (31.30±0.71%) than oven-dried ginger (15.92±0.25%), whereas oven-dried ginger had higher crude protein (5.88±0.005%) and crude fat (3.62±0.015%) contents. For minerals, sun-dried ginger retained higher potassium (28.25±0.04 mg/100g), iron (5.65±0.04 mg/100g), calcium (161.24±0.07 mg/100g), and zinc (18.45±0.03 mg/100g), whereas oven-dried ginger had higher sodium (5.58±0.03 mg/100g). All mineral differences were statistically significant (p<0.05). For meat tenderisation, 67.9% of panellists rated the ginger-treated chicken as ‘very tender’ or ‘extremely tender’, whereas the control meat remained extremely hard. There were no significant differences in chicken growth performance among the groups (p>0.05). This study demonstrates that ginger powder, whether sun-dried or oven-dried, is an effective natural meat tenderiser and a valuable source of micronutrients, offering a low-cost, practical alternative to synthetic tenderising agents for household and industrial use.
Keywords: Zingiber officinale, oven drying, sun drying, proximate composition, mineral content, meat tenderisation, zingibain, sensory evaluation, chicken growth performance