Amino acid composition of Lagenaria siceraria seed flour and protein fractions

Abstract

Defatted seed flours of Lagenaria siceraria (calabash and bottle gourd) were fractionated into their major protein fractions. The amino acid composition of seed flours and their protein fractions were determined and the protein quality was evaluated. Glutamic acid (139-168 mg/g protein) was the most abundant amino acid followed by aspartic acid (89.0-116 mg/g protein) in both the seed flours and their protein fractions. The total essential amino acid ranged from 45.8 to 51.5%. The predicted protein efficiency ratio and the predicted biological value ranged from 2.4 to 2.9 and 8.7 to 44.0, respectively. Lysine and sulphur amino acids were mostly concentrated in the globulin fractions. The first and second limiting amino acids in seed flours and protein fractions were methionine and valine or threonine. The seed flours contained adequate essential amino acids required by growing school children and adults. The seed has potential as protein supplement in cereal based complementary diets or in the replacement of animal proteins in conventional foods.

Chemical and nutritional composition of some selected lesser known legumes indigenous to Nigeria

“…Leucine is the most abundant essential amino acid in all the samples evaluated with values ranging from 13.54 to 6.25 mg/100 g. This result agrees with the findings of Ogunbusola et al (2010) and Ade-Omowaye et al (2015) who reported similar findings in Lagenaria siceraria seed flour and nine underutilised legumes of South West Nigeria. Legume samples evaluated showed good spread of all the essential amino acids.…”

Nutritional potential of underutilized gum arabic tree seeds (acacia nilotica) and locust bean seeds (Parkia biglobosa)

“…The most concentrated essential amino acid in the fermented P. biglobosa seed and fermented A. nilotica seed studied was leucine. A study carried out by Ogunbusola et al (2010) showed similar observation for Lagenaria siceraria seed flour and Table 3. Minerals composition gum arabic tree seeds (A. nilotica) and locust bean seeds (P. biglobosa) (mg/100 g).…”

Paulownia Leaves as A New Feed Resource: Chemical Composition and Effects on Growth, Carcasses, Digestibility, Blood Biochemistry, and Intestinal Bacterial Populations of Growing Rabbits

“…The mineral contents (method 984.27) were analyzed using the atomic absorption spectrophotometer in the Central Laboratory for Food and Feed analysis (CLFF), Agriculture Research Center, Ministry of Agriculture, Cairo, Egypt. Amino acid analyses of PLM and experimental diets were performed using an automated amino acid analyzer after hydrolyzing the samples of paulownia leaves and diets with 6 M HCl at 110 °C for 24 h, according to Ogunbusola et al [13], and the sulfur amino acids were estimated using the method of Bassler and Buchholz [14]. Tryptophan was not estimated because it is demolished through acid hydrolysis.…”