Amino Acid Profile of the Oil Seed of Guizotia scabra Harvested From Plateau and Kaduna States – Nigeria

Abstract

Guizotia scabra (L.F cass. composite) is an oil seed crop found wildly and in some areas cultivated at middle and higher elevations in Nigeria and other African countries. The medicinal importance attached to the plant and the acceptance of the seed in some of our rural areas for preparing different types of delicacies is the driving force of this research. The objectives of this study were to determine the amino acids profile. PTH Amino acid analyser was used to determine amino acids in the sample. Amino acid profile revealed that Glutamic acid in the sample from Plateau was 2.57 g/100g protein while Kaduna state was 3.14g/100g protein; arginine in the sample from Plateau was 1.72 g/100g protein while that from Kaduna was 2.06 g/100g protein. Leucine from Plateau was 1.69 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 2.10 g/100g protein; aspartic acid in the sample from Plateau was 1.55 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 1.80 g/100g protein. The sample from Plateau was 1.00-glycine per100 g protein while that of Kaduna was 1.17 g/100g protein, tyrosine in sample from Plateau was 0.52 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.34 g/100g protein, isoleucine in sample from Plateau was 0.49 g/100 g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.82 g/100g protein. In addition, Alanine in the sample from Plateau was 0.42 g/100 g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.53 g/100g protein as valine in the sample from Plateau was 0.41 g/100 g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.61 g/100g protein. The sample from Plateau has 0.41g proline per 100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.51 g/100g protein. Glycine in the sample from Plateau was 0.38 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.50 g/100g protein, and phenylalanine in the sample from Plateau was 0.35 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.44 g/100g protein. The sample from Plateau has 0.24g cysteine per100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.24 g/100g protein; threonine in the sample from Plateau was 0.19 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.28 g/100g protein. The sample from Plateau has 0.16g serine per g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.22 g/100g protein. The concentration of tryptophan in the sample from Plateau was 0.16 g/100g protein while that of Kaduna was 0.23 g/100g protein and histidine in the sample from Plateau was 0.10 g/100g protein while that from Kaduna was 0.19 g/100g protein. The essential and non-essential amino acids from plateau state are 36.19% and 38.18% respectively while that from Kaduna state are 38.44% and 61.56% respectively. These therefore makes the seed a good source of protein and it is hereby recommended for the fortification of diets that are low in protein for both man and animals.