Physicochemical Properties of Aqueous Extract from Curry Paste of Selected Local Medicinal Soups in Eastern Nigeria

Aqueous extract from curry paste of some local soups commonly consumed in South East Nigeria were analysed for their physicochemical and antibacterial properties. Ingredients for soups namely ‘Kontomire’, ‘Ofensala’ and ‘Igbagba’ were either blanched in boiling water or un-blanched, blended into paste and the extracts were subjected to various analyses using standard methods. The results revealed that the soup water extracts were in the neutral pH values of 6.62-6.75. Proximate composition determination showed that the curry paste contained very low protein (0.57% to 1.60%). It was observed that all the soup extracts were able to inhibit the growth of S. aureus (19.0 mm-25.0 mm). In addition, soup extracts scavenged DPPH radical (2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) with values ranging from 41.41%-94.00%. The result from the phytochemical analysis showed that all the soups contained flavonoid (2.82mg/g-3.81mg/g). These findings may explain the medicinal value attributed to the soups by the local consumer