DefinePK

Abstract

Amino acid composition of
raw and cooked African yam beans and African locust beans have been
determined. The results showed that cooked or raw beans contained all
the amino acid commonly found in protein food materials. Cooking has
significant effect on some essential amino acid contents of the two
seeds P0.05. When the samples were cooked, the essential amino acid
content of African yam beans and African locust beans were observed
to change from 1.12 to 0.97g per 16g N and from 1.69 to 1.79g16g N
respectively. African locust beans showed isoleucine and threonine to
be its limiting amino acids. Their values increased slightly on cooking
from 2.27 to 2.31African yam beans and from 2.91 to 3.33g per 16g
NAfrican locust beans. The advanced amino acid profile of the two
cooked seed samples compares favourably with whole hens egg and most
of them meet the daily requirement of FAO and WHO. The amounts of lysine,
proline and glutamic acids amounts reduces cooking any of the two studied
beans, while the remaining amino acids showed slight but varied percentage
changes on cooking. Results are also compared with literature values
for other contemporary plant seeds and legumes. The two seeds are projected
as alternative sources of cheap food protein.

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