The proximate composition, amino acid profile of the protein, mineral and fatty acid constituents of melon seed were studied by chemical analysis, column chromatography for amino acids and gas chromatography for fatty acids. Two hundred and sixteen, male weanling albino rats of the Wistar strain, 28-30 days old and weighing on the average 5&55 g were used in three experiments to study the protein quality of melon seed meals with and without amino acid supplementation. The raw and fried undefatted melon seed meals (RUM and FUM), had crude protein and fat contents of between 31-37 % and 54-57 %, depending on the variety, while the raw and fried defatted meals (RDM and FDM) had 69-78 % and 1.1-2.7% respectively. Crude fibre levels were low in all samples. Melon seed contained high amounts of Ca, P, Mg, K, Zn and Fe. The fat comprised the following percentage acids: linoleic (52.3-57.9), oleic (13.6-21.7), palmitic (11.1-18.6), and stearic (13.0-16.8). The fairly high iodine value (113.1-118.7) and saponification number (192.8-194.6) confirmed the unsaturated nature of the melon seed oil. Lysine and methionine were the amino acids in shortest supply while threonine was marginal. The tryptophan content (2.21 g/16 g N) was higher than in most other plant protein sources.In studies with rats, the true digestibility of RUM, FUM, RDM and FDM were similar (range, 91-93 %) and were comparable to that for soyabean meal (SBM), (91.74 %), but lower than for whole hen's egg (WHE), (98.8 %). RDM and FDM had superior protein quality indices compared to RUM and FUM. RUM, RDM, FUM, and FDM had p.e.r., n.p.r., n.p.u. and b.v. of 0. 33, 1.53,41.30 and 46.84; 0.93, 2.58, 49.74 and 52.84; 0.75, 2.02, 44.64 and 48.79; and 1.01, 2.67, 50.12 and 54.18 respectively, which were significantly (P < 0.05) inferior to those for SBM and WHE (1.91, 3.89, 61.33 and 65.85; and 4.77, 6.14,94.86 and 96.94). Feeding FDM at increasing protein levels (10, 15, and 20%) resulted in increasing liveweight gains, improved p.e.r. up to 15%, but did not significantly alter the n.p.u. and b.v. Amino acid supplementation of 10 protein FDM diet, confirmed that lysine is the most limiting amino acid in melon seed meal for rat growth, followed by methionine and threonine. The levels of tryptophan and isoleucine were found to be adequate.

I. The proximate composition, amino acid composition and the quality of the protein of the African locust-bean (Purkiu jilicoideu Welw.) seed, seed with pulp, and various processed forms, with or without amino acid supplementation, were assessed.2. The crude protein content of the locust-bean seed was 303 g/kg and the crude fibre content was IZI g/kg.3. The seeds contained (mg/g protein): 67 lysine, 6.1 methionine and 8.9 tryptophan. 4. Diets containing IOO g protein/kg supplied by the seed did not support growth in rats, 5.Utilization of the protein of locust-bean seeds was improved by cooking, and by removal 6. Supplementation with methionine alone resulted in positive growth and a very sub-7. Supplements of methionine and tryptophan caused further improvement in protein demonstrating that the protein was of poor quality.of the tough leathery outer testa of the seeds.stantial increase in protein values.quality and increased the growth of rats to almost that obtained with whole egg.In Nigeria, as in all other developing countries, there is a general shortage of protein, particularly of animal proteins, in the diet.The livestock situation has not improved much in recent times because of a lack of basic information on the available feeding-stuffs, which has mitigated against the use of these feeding-stuffs in balanced and economical rations for farm stock or in dietary mixtures for feeding the vulnerable groups of people. Cheap sources of good-quality proteins for livestock feeding are scarce, and this has necessitated a survey of the potentials of sources hitherto not much used.The studies reported here are part of a series of systematic investigations which have been undertaken to evaluate nutritionally a wide range of protein foodstuffs not commonly used but which may ultimately be used on a large scale if found to be of high nutritional value.The African locust bean (Parkiajilicoidea Welw.) is a spreading tree of medium size, with compound leaves and numerous leaflets. The fruits comprise bunches of pods which vary between 125 and 275 mm in length and contain a yellow, dry, powdery pulp, in which are embedded several dark brown or black seeds. It is widely distributed in the natural grassland of the northern states and in derived savannah zones of the western states of Nigeria.The yellow mealy pulp is sweet to the taste and is made into a valuable carbohydrate food. E X P E R I M E N T A LOrigin, preparation and storage of samples The African locust-bean-seed samples were obtained direct from local farmers around Iseyin and Oyo in western Nigeria. Some of the samples had been removed already from the pods and washed clean of the yellow pulp. These are the samples designated 'bean seed'. The only laboratory treatment given to them was cooking in boiling water for 3 h, sun-drying and then grinding into a fine powder which passed through a 30 mesh sieve. The sample designated 'bean seed with pulp' comprised the cooked seed and yellow, sweetish pulp (75 : 25, wlw). Expt IIn this experiment, the proximate composi...

SummaryNine West African dwarf (Fouta djallon), Red Sokoto (Maradi) and Saanen lactating goats, hand-milked, were used for these studies, which lasted 12 weeks. The Saanen goats' milk was obtained weekly from the Western State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources Urban Dairy Farm at Iwo Road, while similar samples were collected from the herd at the University of Ibadan Teaching and Research Farm. The goats were balanced for stage of lactation, namely early, mid- and late-lactation. They were each maintained on giant star grass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) ad lib. and 1kg dairy concentrate mixture daily.The mean contents, with standard deviations, of the milks of Saanen, West African dwarf and Red Sokoto goats at mid-lactation respectively were: (in percentages), total solids 12·25±0·078, 18·18±0·392, 15·85±0·077; solids-not-fat (SNF) 8·91±0·142, 10·48±0·471, 10·53±0·140; butterfat 3·34±0·141, 7·78±0·621, 5·32±0·098; protein 3·04±0·139, 5·30±0·292, 4·74±0·021; lactose 4·56±0·167, 5·19±0·176, 4·77±0·053; energy (kJ/g dried milk), 21·08±1·11, 25·51±1·74, 22·17±0·51. Breed differences were significant (P < 0·01). The milk of West African dwarf goats contained more of these milk components than the milk of the Red Sokoto or Saanen goats. The Red Sokoto goats gave milk of higher content than did Saanen goats, even at an early stage of lactation.Butterfat, protein, lactose and energy values were significantly affected by stages of lactation (P < 0·05) and tended to rise with advancing lactation; this was particularly so with West African dwarf goats.

Three trials were carried out to determine the suitability of locally produced palm kernel meal ( P K M ) as the major protein concentrate in the diets of weaners, growers and fattening pigs in the tropics. Large White and Large White x Landrace cross barrows and gilts were used. These were individually fed at semirestricted levels the various diets formulated to contain approximately 15, 12 and 16.5 % crude protein for trials 1, 2 and 3 respectively, the PKM or other protein sources contributing at least 50% of the total dietary protein in all the diets. In trial 1, pigs on the PKM diet grew at a lower rate, had poorer feed:gain ratio and protein efficiency ratio and lower feed consumption than the pigs on other diets. Pigs on a fish meal diet (FM) had the best performance throughout. In trial 2, the same trends as for trial 1 were observed, except that pigs on the dried skimmed milk (DSM) diet performed better than those on all other diets. In trial 3, the pigs on the PKM diet supplemented with 10% groundnut cake or 15% DSM had slower growth rate and lower feed:gain ratio than the pigs on other diets containing lower quantities of PKM supplemented with fish meal (FM) or blood meal (BM).

FETUGA, BABATUNDE, OYENUGA sponse is achieved. The effects of moisture on flavor release are especially critical in drying operations (Flink and Karel, 1972; Flink and Labuza, 1972; Rulkens and Thijssen, 1972a,b) and in the development of intermediate moisture foods. In addition, flavor microencapsulation techniques would benefit from a knowledge of these interactions.