The protein content and amino acid profile of Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica) leaves and tubers were determined from ten different accessions taken from Debre Zeit Agricultural Research Center, Ethiopia. Crude protein content was determined by Kjeldahl method and amino acid profile was analyzed using performic acid oxidation and acid hydrolysis by ninhydrin‐derivatized analysis with amino acid analyzer. Crude protein content of Anchote tuber ranged from 10.70% ± 0.26% to 13.72% ± 0.10%, whereas the crude protein content in leaves were ranged between 30.38 ± 0.01% (“240407‐1”) and 35.42 ± 0.05% (“223109‐1”). Total amino acid content ranged from 45.12 to 62.89 and 67.31 to 75.69 g/100 g protein for tuber and leaf samples, respectively. The mean values of essential, conditionally essential and nonessential amino acids were 37.22 & 36.79%; 28.62 & 24.10%; and 34.16 & 39.11% for tubers and leaves, respectively. Arginine in tubers and glutamic acid in leaves ranked the highest of all amino acids; while the least dominant essential amino acid was methionine in both parts. Among the essential amino acids, leucine was dominant in all accessions tested with values ranged from 3.12 to 5.32 g/100 g protein in tubers and from 5.15 to 5.65 g/100 g protein in leaves. In general, the average amino acid content was higher in the leaves (71.08 g/100 g protein) compared to the tubers (51.11 g/100 g protein). The nutritional quality of Coccinia abyssinica leaves and tubers range as follows: total essential amino acids (TEAA)/ total amino acids (TAA) (37.57 & 36.82%), TEAA/total non‐essential amino acids (TNEAA) ratio (0.60 & 0.58), The predicted protein efficiency ratio (P‐PER) (1.22 & 1.80), Essential amino acid index (EAAI) (35.28 & 53.93%), Predicted biological value (P‐BV) (26.76 & 47.09%), Nutritional index (4.11 & 17.71%), and Amino acid score (73 & 108) for tuber and leaf sample, respectively. A significant variability was observed in protein and amino acid profile among accessions and plant parts, and the leaf part were found to be richer in protein content and associated nutritional quality.

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Anchote (Coccinia abyssinica (Lam.) (Cogn)) is an endemic and potentially valuable crop of Ethiopia principally categorized under root and tuber crops, and its newly growing leaves along with the tendrils are also used as nutritious vegetable served after being cooked. Leaf and tuber powders were extracted for the first time to identify volatile organic compounds by simultaneous steam distillation and solvent extraction (SDE) and characterized using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS). VOCs having an area percentage above 0.5% were used for identification analysis. From the results, thirty volatile flavor compounds from leaves and fifteen from tubers were identified with the total fraction yield of 770.57 mg/kg and 4536.91 mg/kg, respectively, and from the 30 compounds identified from leaf 16 were distinguished in each of the tested accessions. Ethyl acetate 90.47% (697.13 mg/kg) was detected in a higher amount exhibiting >1% peak area. The rest 6.03% (46.46 mg/kg) were minor quantities (<1%) of the total (770.57 mg/kg) volatile flavor fraction. Among the 15 identified compounds in the tuber, ethyl acetate was the only major compound that accounted together for 99.15% (4498.33 mg/kg) of the total volatile flavor fraction and 0.85% (38.58 mg/kg) being reported in minor quantities (<1%). The SDE extraction and GC-MS analysis of anchote leaves and tubers successfully identified various volatile flavor compounds, which indicates that anchote was found to be a potential source of volatile flavor compounds that can be used as a food flavoring agent and in folk medicines. Thus, this study confirms that anchote leaf and tuber can be used for more specific and valuable applications in food and medicine industries.

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