Effect of Thermal Treatments on Selected Minerals and Water Soluble Vitamins of Chicken Breast Meat

The study was conducted to ascertain the effect of thermal treatments on selected minerals (Ca, K, Mg, Na, P, Fe and Zn) and water soluble vitamins (B1, B2, B3, B6, B9, B12 and C) contents of chicken breast meat. Industrial skinless chicken breast meat samples were purchased, transported to Bioprocess laboratory in cool conditions, frozen and sliced into dimensions and thawed. The samples were cooked by air frying (AF), baking (BK), deep fat frying (DF) and grilling (GR) at 170, 180 and 1900C for 0, 4, 8 and 12 min for minerals and 0, 8 and 16 min for vitamins. Thereafter, cooked and raw samples were wet acid digested overnight and 5 h digested on a block digester on slowly increased temperature to 1200C, cooled and deionized. The mineral elements were analysed by Optima 4300DV inductivity coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductivity coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). These mineral elements were extrapolated through a calibration curve between intensity and concentration, while the vitamins were ascertained by measurement of absorbance of filtrates of the samples dissolved in their respective solvents in the Spectrophotometer against their blank samples at different wavelengths. The results showed that cooking methods decreased significantly (p < 0.05) the mineral elements with an exception of Zn cooked by grilling (GR) that increased by 19.92% and Mg that increased in the cooking methods. The ascending percentage reduction of minerals in cooked chicken breast were Zn, P, K, Fe, Na and Ca. Samples cooked by DF had significantly (p < 0.05) higher percentage reduction of 45.06% in Ca, 27.74% in Na and 18.85% in Zn and higher percentage increases of 14.96% in Mg contents than other methods. Also samples cooked by DF had higher percentage reductions of 55.10%, 37.93%, 37.11%, 34.44% and 30.99% in vitamins B1, C, B2, B9 and B6  Whereas higher percentage reductions of 41.67% and 37.84 % in vitamins B12 and B3 occurred in baking (Bk) and grilling (GR) treated samples. Cooking at 1900C had higher percent reduction in the Ca, Na, Fe, K, P and Zn as well as B1, B12, B2, C, B3, B9 and B6. Cooking methods, temperatures and times decreased significantly (p < 0.05) vitamins and minerals contents of chicken breast meat with an exception of Mg. Samples cooked at 1700C for 4 min and 1700C for 8 min had lower losses of minerals and vitamins compared to similar samples cooked at 1800C and 1900C. The AF cooking method had the least percent reduction of 22.50% than other cooking methods BK (26.88%), DF (36.04%) and GR (30.69%) in vitamin contents.