ABSTRACT 

The effect of different food processing methods on the phytochemical contents of some selected 

food items; Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), Carrot (Daucus carota), Sweet Potato (Ipomoea 

halalas L.), Pink Cocoyam Xanihosoma sagittifolium scholt), Scentleaf (Ocimum gratissiurn), 

Huted Pumpkin (Telfairia occidetalis),and Utazi (Congronema latjfolium) was studied. 

The samples were prepared using three treatments; they were boiled, processed. in their raw form, 

dried and milled into powdery form. The phytochemical analysis was carried out based on the 

phytochemicals identified in the food samples. The quantitative composition of these 

phytochemicals were evaluated using the carotenoid determination (lycopene, lutein, Betacarotene), Terpenoid determination, chlorophyll determination method. The results of the 

phytochemical analysis showed that in the raw samples, the lycopene, beta-carotene, chlorophyll, 

tcrpcnc and lutciu content ranged from l.94.tg/g -28.30p.g/g, 2.15tg/g — 28.46tg/g, 25.64ig/g 

(5.78ig, 0.75 jig/g -3.56p.g/g and l.75p.g/g -15.61 g/g respectively. When dried and boiled, 

the result ranged from l.72tg/g — 23.28tgIg and 1.29p.g'g -32.17jxglg (lycopene), 1.83ig/g - 

1 9.27pgIg and I .46i.g/g -l4.36tgIg(beta-carotene),23.64p.g/g -53.34tg/g and 24.20j.tg/g35.(dtg/g (chlorophyll), 0.53tg/g -2.30p.g/g and 0.33tg/g -l.48ig/g (terpene), 1.06jiglg 

I 2.70 jig/g and 084g/g -7.82.Lgjg (lutcin). The result showed that processing methods might 

either have a positive or adverse effect on phytochemicals depending on the method employed.