IOSR Journal of Applied Chemistry (IOSR-JAC) ISSN: 2278-5736. Volume 2, Issue 2 (Sep-Oct. 2012), PP 32-35 www.iosrjournals.org www.iosrjournals.org 32 | Page Comparative Studies on the Physicochemical Characteristics of Popcorn And Groundnut Flour Fermented Using Pure Strains Of Rhizopus nigricans and Saccharomyces cerevisae Oyeleke, G.O. 1 , Lawal, R.T. 2 , Olagunju, E.O 3 . And Ojo, A. 4 1, 2, 3 S.L.T Department, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Nigeria. 4 Food Science and Technology, Osun State Polytechnic, Iree, Nigeria. Abstract: Proximate, elemental and anti-nutrient composition of fermented using Sacchromyces cerevisae and Rhizopus nigricans for 72 hours and unfermented groundnut and popcorn were carried out using standard methods of analysis. The proximate analysis results showed that crude protein, fat and crude fibre increased in fermented samples. Sodium, potassium and phosphorus were also found to increase in the fermented sample while anti-nutrient was found to decrease after fermentation. The result from the research work revealed that fermentation could be a very good method of enhancing nutritional benefit of food materials and could be utilized in food formulation. Keywords: Proximate, fermentation, groundnut, popcorn, nutritional, anti-nutrient. I. Introduction Popcorn as a common snack has a lot of flavours and advantages. It is high in carbohydrates, protein but low in fat and is therefore considered as a kind of healthy food. Without any artificial flavouring, popcorn can be considered as a natural packaging material. The internal cell structure of popcorn contains cavities inside the cell which established foamy- like structure. The structure provides protective cushioning properties similar to the function of the commercial plastic loose- fill foams. Heat is the major energy used for popping. The manufacturing process (popping) time is much shorter than the starch or cellulose based foams [1]. Furthermore, popcorn can be considered for bird feeding. Groundnut, or peanut, is commonly called the poor man’s nut. Today it is an important oil seed and food crop. This plant is native to South America and has never been found uncultivated. The botanical name for groundnut, Arachis hypogaea Linn, is derived from two Greek words, Arachis meaning “ legume” and hypogaea meaning “below ground”, referring to the formation of pods in the soils. There are many kinds of corn varieties in the world. The varieties are basically classified in accordance with their different kernel texture or the internal structure. In general, the distinction between corn varieties is based on the endosperm and kernel constitution, kernel colour, shape, the place where it is grown, maturity and the specific use. Similar to other corn species, popcorn kernel consist of three major structural parts: pericarp, germ and endosperm. Depending on the popcorn variety, the pericarp can be thick or thin. The pericarp is a tough protective layer surrounding the kernel and participates in the popping action. It serves as a pressure vessel enclosing and containing the endosperm. It is also an important factor in popcorn quality. The germ contributes the least to popping phenomenon. Popping does not alter the germ chemically or physically [2]. Groundnuts are important component of Nigerian diet and about 5 percent of the estimated 58.9g of crude protein available per head per day is contributed by government [3]. In most of the developing countries, it provides high-quality cooking oil and is an important source of protein for both human and animal diet and also provides much needed foreign exchange by exporting the kennels and cake. One desirable change that microorganisms bring about in food is fermentation. The microorganisms responsible for fermentation of food are mainly bacteria, yeast and moulds. Of the three, yeast and bacteria are the most important. The species of bacteria that are involved in fermentation includes lactobacillus species, streptococcus species, bacillus species, staphylococcus species etc. In the industries many microorganism are used for production of metabolites such as acids, alcohol, amino acids enzymes and antibiotics through fermentation. For food processing fermented products such as citric acids, acetic acid and glutamate are frequently used [4]; thus fermentation has the following advantages in food production; it enhances the nutritional value of a food product through increase in vitamin level, improved digestibility of food, assisting in preservation of food and also have beneficial health effects on the intestinal flora especially lactic acid bacteria . Protein calorie malnutrition is a serious problem in the developing world, It is ironic that protein calorie malnutrition exist in areas where most of the groundnut is produced especially Africa, therefore the aim of this research work is to determine the physicochemical properties of popcorn and groundnut fermented with