Mo. Ologunde et al., CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF EXOTIC GRAIN AMARANTH SEED PLANTED IN THE HUMID LOWLANDS OF WEST AFRICA, Tropical agriculture, 69(2), 1992, pp. 106-110
Seeds harvested from Amaranthus cruentus, A. caudatus, A. hybridus and
A. hypochondriacus planted under West African ecological conditions w
ere analysed for their chemical and nutritional properties. Despite th
e agronomic environment, nutrient contents - protein, 18.2 +/- 1.2%; c
arbohydrate, 65.2 +/- 2.4%; crude fat, 5.7 +/- 0.7% and total dietary
fibre, 19.6 +/- 5.7% - were comparable with figures obtained elsewhere
and with values earlier reported for the parent stock. Levels of the
nutritive macrominerals, K, Mg, Ca, and of the microminerals, Cu, Fe,
Zn, as well as essential amino acids, lysine (4.8 g/16 g N) and sulphu
r-containing amino acids (3.8 g/16 g N) were high. The lipid fraction
was very rich in unsaturated fatty acids (76.2 +/- 1.6%) with a mean r
atio of saturated to unsaturated fatty acid of 0.27. Although the grai
ns contain phytate (5.90-23.50 mg phytate g-1 defatted meal) and tanni
s (0.03-1.12%), the levels were comparable with other grains and may p
rove not to be inhibitory to both protein and mineral utilization.