Chemical Analysis of Prosopis Africana (Guill &Perr.) Seeds

Abstract

The seeds of Prosopis africana (Guill. & Perr.) were collected and analysed for proximate, anti-nutritional factors, elemental, oxide composition and amino acid profile using standard procedures to evaluate the seeds' nutritional potentials. The results of the proximate composition indicated the following: ash content (3.94%), moisture (8.56%), protein (32.27%), lipids (2.36%), crude fibre (6.75%), and carbohydrate (46.12 %). The results of anti-nutritional factors showed that Prosopis africana seed contained oxalate (0.27 mg/100g), saponin (10.5 mg/100g), alkaloid (7.5 mg/100g), and tannin (16.24 mg/100g). Amino acid profile of the seeds was found to contain; lysine (2.77 mg/100g), methionine (1.86 mg/100g), isoleucine (3.46 mg/100g), leucine (13.26 mg/100g), phenylalanine (4.82 mg/100g), valine (4.13 mg/100g) and non-essential amino acids; arginine (3.62 mg/100g), serine (2.81 mg/100g), aspartic acid (4.58 mg/100g) and glycine (7.12 mg/100g). Elemental composition of the seeds showed potassium (1.397 mg/Kg), calcium (0.405 mg/Kg), Sulphur (1.679 mg/Kg), zinc (0.008 mg/Kg), cadmium (0.002 mg/Kg), phosphorus (0.545 mg/Kg), chlorine (0.021 mg/Kg), manganese (0.01 mg/Kg), silicon (0.202 mg/Kg), and antimony (0.007 mg/Kg); While the oxides composition were: MnO (0.013%), CaO (0.567%), Al O (0.061%), ZnO (0.01%) and SiO (0.433%). The 2 3 2 results of the study revealed that Prosopis africana seed contained high protein content which can be use to supplement the high cost conventional sources. However, the value of anti-nutritional factors suggests that proper processing methods should be adopted before it could be consumed.