CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF EXOTIC GRAIN AMARANTH SEED PLANTED IN THE HUMID LOWLANDS OF WEST AFRICA

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.