Chemical composition and protein quality of lentils (Lens) consumed in Egypt

Three local cultivars of lentil (Lens) seeds (Giza 9, Family 91, and Family 195) as well as one imported Pakistani variety were studied. Moisture, protein, fat, carbohydrate, ash, fiber, thiamine, riboflavin, amino acids and some protein fractions were determined on the unpeeled and peeled seeds. The protein quality was evaluated by determining the protein efficiency ratio, net protein utilization, biological value, and true digestibility coefficient. All components were increased by peeling, except the ash, the fiber content, and the residual nitrogen content of the insoluble protein fraction. The latter was markedly decreased by peeling. Giza 9 lentil seeds were found to contain the highest protein and thiamine contents. They showed the highest protein quality and proved to be nutritionally superior to other varieties. Generally, the three local cultivars were found to be chemically and biologically superior to the imported Pakistani cultivar.     

Chemical composition of grape canes

In this study, chemical composition of canes which were sampled from ten different grape cultivars was investigated. For the determination of total phenolics, total flavanols and total flavonol contents, canes were analyzed spectrophotometrically. The phenolic compositions of the canes, including caffeic acid, catechin, p-coumaric acid, epicatechin, gallic acid, luteolin and trans-resveratrol were detected by HPLC. The anthron method was used for the determination of total carbohydrate content. The minerals such as K, P, Ca, Fe, Mg and Zn were determined by ICP-OES. All the parameters investigated in this study significantly changed depending on the cultivar. The results showed that grape canes as agricultural wastes from commercial viticultural activities represent a potentially important source of phenolics, minerals, carbohydrates and proteins. Therefore the grape canes may be used as an easily accessible source of natural antioxidants and food supplement.     

Chemical composition of papaya seeds

Seeds of papaya cultivated in Somalia, which accounted for about 16% of the fresh fruit weight, were divided into sarcotesta and endosperm. Sarcotesta showed higher percentages of ash, crude protein, and crude fiber than did endosperm, but was lacking in fat. In contrast, endosperm contained 60% fat. Oil extract showed very high levels of oleic and palmitic acids. The essential amino acid profiles of endosperm and sarcotesta protein were determined and compared with the provisional FAO essential amino acid profile. The results indicated that the endosperm protein was a good potential source of supplemental protein.     

Nutritional composition and micronutrient status of home made and commercial weaning foods consumed in Tanzania

About 50% of young children in Tanzania suffer from protein-energyundernutrition (PEU) while more than 45% of children under the age offive suffer from various micronutrient deficiency disorders. The immediatecause of these conditions is inadequate intake and poor utilization ofnutrients, which begins in the weaning period and amplifies in thesubsequent years. This study was conducted to assess the potential of somehome made and commercial weaning foods commonly consumed in Tanzania tosupply adequate amounts of both macro- and micronutrients as recommendedin the Tanzania and FAO/WHO Codex Alimentarius Standards forcereal/milk-based weaning foods. Six types of home made weaning foods,maize, cassava, millet, sorghum and millet-sardine-peanut composite gruelsand plantain pap, and four types of commercial weaning foods, Cerelac-1,Cerelac-2, Lactogen-1 and Lactogen-2, popularly consumed in Tanzania, werechemically assayed for proximate composition, energy and mineral density.Results of the study indicated that, both the home made and commercialweaning foods were good sources of macro- and micronutrients. Whencompared with the Codex Alimentarius and Tanzania Bureau of Standardsspecifications for weaning foods, both home made and commercial weaningfoods had some shortcomings in terms of nutrient composition and energybalance. Many of the foods were low in fat, Fe, Ca, Zn and P but high incrude fiber, carbohydrate and magnesium. Ca, Fe and Zn were the mostcommon deficient macro/micronutrients in the home made weaning foods. Inspite of these shortcomings, most of the home made and commercial weaningfoods were nutritionally sound since they could provide reasonablepercentages of the recommended daily allowances for macro/micronutrientsand energy. It is suggested that, more efforts must be directed towardsincreasing the concentration of Ca, Fe and Zn in the home made weaningfoods through supplementation of the starchy staples with mineral richfoods. Meanwhile, the parents, caretakers and health workers should beeducated on the selection and preparation of nutritious, balanced weaningfoods and good weaning practices.     

东北产天南星科植物化学成分研究进展

中国东北地区(辽宁、吉林、黑龙江)所产天南星科(Araceae)植物分为7属11种2变种5变型,其中绝大多数具有较高的药用价值,本文主要对中国东北地区所产主要天南星科植物化学成分进行了论述,以便人们更好地了解东北地区所产的天南星科药用植物,以及对此植物进行生态性地开发、保护和利用起提供参考依据。     

Chemical composition of walnuts from three regions in China

To reveal the characteristic chemicals of walnuts from different origins, we analyzed fatty acid composition,tocopherols, phytosterols and total phenolic content(TPC) of walnuts from three main producing regions in China. The results showed that walnuts were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the ratio of ω-6 to ω-3 fatty acids was close to the recommendation of Chinese Nutrition Society. Moreover, walnuts contain high contents of tocopherols(331.20–414.71 mg/kg), phytosterols(97.17–110.35...     

Chemical composition of purslane (Portulaca oleracea)

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea), grown under greenhouse conditions, was harvested at three growth stages and analyzed for total solids, total protein, ash, soluble carbohydrate, and fructose/fructane in whole plants, leaves, stems, and roots. Significant increases were observed in total solids and protein during plant maturation. Leaves had the highest amount of protein in the third growth stage (44.25g/100g dry matter). Roots showed a decline in protein level as the plant aged. Soluble carbohydrate was significantly higher in growth states 1 and 3. Significant variation among growth stages was found with regard to total phosphorous, calcium, potassium, iron, managanese, and copper. Total phosphorus (P) content in leaves was significantly higher than P found in stems and roots. Iron (Fe) content varied significantly among growth stages, and roots and leaves had the highest Fe content (121.47 and 33.21 mg, respectively). Significant accumulation of managanese (Mn) was found in different growth stages. Leaves and roots had significantly higher Mn content than stems.     

Chemical composition of the edible leaves ofPterocarpus mildbraedii

Proximate composition, mineral element content, amino acid profile and the levels of some antinutrients in the edible leaves ofPterocarpus mildbraedii were determined. Moisture content was assayed as 85.12 percent (wet weight). Protein, fat, ash and fibre contents of the leaf (percent dry weight) were 25.84, 5.23, 6.44 and 7.56 respectively. Mineral element analysis showed high levels of calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, copper, manganese and zinc. However, the level of sodium in the vegetable was low. Amino acid profile indicated that the leaf is rich in essential amino acids. The antinutrient levels of hydrogen cyanide and oxalate were low. The paper suggests the need to meet nutrient requirements through an increased use of this cheap but less popular food item with good nutritive potential.     

Chemical composition of oleo-gum-resin from Ferula gummosa

The chemical composition of oleo-gum-resin from Ferula gummosa collected in the northern part of Iran has been studied. The fraction of oleo-gum-resin soluble in ethanol (ca 67 wt.%) is composed by three major fractions: (i) monoterpenes and monoterpenoids (ca 15 wt.% fraction), (ii) sesquiterpenes and sesquiterpenoids (ca 30 wt.%) and (iii) triterpenes and triterpenoids (ca 55 wt.%). The major families of terpenes and terpenoids were identified employing gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detector (GC-MS). Almost 25 wt.% of oleo-gum-resin was insoluble in ethanol and, according to wet chemistry analyses, assigned to arabinogalactane structurally associated with protein complex (AGP). This arabinogalactan possessed the molecular weight of ca 30 kDa, as revealed by size exclusion chromatography, and the main backbone was constituted by β-(1 → 3)/β-(1 → 3,6)-linked d-galactopyranosyl residues ramified predominantly by terminal α-l-arabinofuranosyl and β-d-glucuronopyranosyl residues, as assessed by 1D/2D ¹H NMR.     

Chemical composition of kernels from some species ofCucurbitaceae grown in Nigeria

The seeds of lesser-known species —Cucumeropsis mannii, Lagenaria sicceraria varities 1 and 2 andTelfairia occidentalis, ofCucurbitaceae family were studied. The protein content ofC. mannii was 36.1% and the varieties 1 and 2 ofL. sicceraria had 32.1% and 33.3% respectively.Telfairia occidentalis had protein content of 33.2%. The fat contents ofC. mannii, L. Sicceraria var. 1 and 2 andT. occidentalis were 44.4%, 44.6%, 46.9% and 42.3% respectively. The crude fibre content for each of the two varieties ofL. sicceraria was 3.6% andT. occidentalis had 5.5%.Cucumeropsis mannii had the lowest (2.4%) fibre content. The carbohydrate contents forL. Sicceraria var. 2,C. mannii, andT. occidentalis were 12.6%, 13.2% and 14.4% respectively.Lagenaria sicceraria var. 1 had the highest value of carbohydrate (15.8%). The species were relatively rich in potassium and magnesium with range of values of 0.56% to 0.68% and 434 ppm to 444 ppm respectively.Cucumeropsis mannii andLagenaria sicceraria var. 2 had relatively high contents of calcium (117 ppm) and iron (109 ppm) respectively. The kernels of these species exhibited lipase activity.Telfairia occidentalis showed the highest degree of lipase activity.     

Chemical composition of Flourensia cernua at four growth stages

Tarbush (Flourensia cernua DC) is an abundant Chihuahuan Desert shrub but is used sparingly by livestock. Leaves were removed from forty tarbush plants harvested in each of 3 years during four growth stages: (1) early. (2) mid-point, (3) late and (4) curtailed growth (ten plants per growth stage each year). Plants were air dried and all leaves were removed. In vitro dry-matter (DM) disappearance was greater for the early growth stage than other stages (P<005). The fibrous fraction increased with maturity, with neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) arid acid detergent lignin (ADL) contents all less for the early growth stage (P<0 05) than other stages. The latter three growth stages did not differ in NDF or ADF content, but ADL content was lower for the mid-point growth stage than for the two later stages (P<0–05). Calcium content increased with advancing season (P<0–05), whereas phosphorus concentration exhibited an inverse pattern (P<0–05). Nitrogen (N) content of tarbush was greatest in the early growth stage (P <0–05) and declined substantially thereafter. Soluble N content was greater and acid detergent insoluble N (ADIN) content was lower for early growth (P<005) than other stages. Insoluble N concentration followed a pattern similar to N, declining with advancing season (P<0–05). When expressed as a fraction of total N, insoluble N decreased and soluble N increased with maturity (P<005). Condensed tannin concentration tended (P<0–10) to increase with advancing season. Total phenolic content was lowest for early growth (P<005), and did not differ among the other stages. Chemical analysis revealed tarbush to be relatively high in N concentration. Fibre fractions, ADIN, ADL and condensed tannins were ail generally low whereas total phenolic content of tarbush was quite high. Early use by livestock would be most advantageous in terms of nutrient availability (N, P and in vitro digestibility) and lowest total phenolic concentration. Year-to-year variability in chemical composition of tarbush appears to be substantial. It remains to be seen whether overriding intake deterrents would be beneficial to livestock, given the high phenolic concentration in tarbush. Tarbush has several characteristics that make it a suitable model for studying plant-animal interactions of desert shrubs.     

Chemical composition of two semi-aquatic plants for food use

The seasonal variation in the nutrient composition ofEnhydra fluctuans andMarsilea quadrifolia, two edible semi-aquatic plants, was studied in order to promote their consumption as green leafy vegetables. Both plants had a high crude protein content throughout all harvesting seasons.Enhydra fluctuans had a low ash content and was a good source of -carotene (3.7 to 4.2 mg/100 g on a fresh weight basis).Marsilea quadrifolia exhibited wide fluctuations between seasons and was not very promising in nutrient composition when compared to other commonly used green leafy vegetables.     

Chemical composition and nutritional quality ofCleome dolichostyla seeds

Seeds ofCleome dolichostyla were analysed for proximate composition, mineral element contents and amino acid composition, in-vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) and calculated protein efficiency ratio (C-PER). The seeds (dry basis) were rich in oil (32.1%), protein (24.6%) and fiber (17.8%) content. The contents of various mineral elements mg/100 g) were: Ca=1970, P=493, Mg=127, Na=35, K=465, Fe=71.97, Zn=2.25, Cu=0.44 and Mn=1.45. Aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, arginine and histidine were the major amino acids inC. dolichostyla seed protein accounting for half of the total amino acids. Lysine was the most limiting essential amino acid (FAO/WHO, 1973 reference pattern) with a chemical score of 45 for the protein. The IVPD of cleome seed protein was 72.2% and C-PER was 1.08 relative to the IVPD and C-PER values of 90.0% and 2.50 for the Animal Nutrition Research Council casein.     

Chemical composition and pulp characterization of Tunisian vine stems

In this study, the valorisation of Tunisian vine stem wastes was investigated. The chemical composition of the vine stems was studied, and it was found that when compared to non-wood plants, they contain greater amounts of extractives, lignin, and comparable holocellulose content. An elementary analysis of the ashes showed that the major constituents were mineral elements (K and Ca). Soda pulping of vine stems led to a yield of about 35% after the bleaching step. This amount is lower than that obtained for wood plants and similar to that observed for annual plants. The morphological properties, Kappa number, and degree of polymerization of the resulting pulp were determined. Finally, paper handsheets were prepared from the pulp, and their physical properties were investigated. The breaking length, Young's modulus, and burst index of the produced paper presents quite acceptable values. Further, the silica content of the stems is low, which is advantageous for the pulping process. Experimental results obtained for both the pulp and paper show that this agricultural residue has the potential to be used for papermaking applications.     

Chemical composition and content of antinutritional factors in Polish cultivars of peas

The seeds of 15 Polish pea varieties contained from 221 to 281 g/kg crude protein with a mean of 240.2±3.5 g/kg dry matter (DM). The weight of 1000 pea seeds, depending on cultivar, ranged from 209.4 to 280.4 g. No interactive effect between the seed mass and the crude protein content was detected. The highest significant negative correlation between weight of seeds and dietary fiber content wasr=−0.815^XX. The content of dietary fiber ranged from 161.5 to 209.9 g/kg with a mean of 187.9±3.8 g/kg. The mean gross energy of seeds was 18.1±0.28 MJ/kg. Amino acid composition of all the cultivars was similar, which was indicated by a similar index of essential amino acids (EAAI) of about 69.7±0.25. Trypsin inhibitor content in seeds was from 2.83 to 7.32 TIU/mg and the content of phytates ranged from 6.32 to 13.36 mg/g DM. The mean content of polyphenols and flavanols in analysed pea cultivars was 0.92 amd 0.46 mg/g, respectively. In the seeds of most cultivars little or no pyrimidine glucosides, i.e. vicine and convicine, were found. The overall mean oligosaccharide content was 64.3±1.8 g/kg, of which α-galactosides were 46.8±2.0 g/kg. The antinutritional factor content was not significantly correlated with protein content. No statistical relationship was found between crude protein and dietary fiber content. It was observed that pea cultivars with higher trypsin inhibitor activity contained significantly less flavanols (r=−0.607^X) and α-galactosides (r=−0.617^X). The varieties with higher seed content of dietary fiber contained the highest amount of α-galactosides (r=0.514^X).     

Chemical composition of seeds and oil of Xylopia aethiopica grown in Nigeria

The chemical composition and mineral constituents of Xylopia aethiopica, which is valued as a spice in Nigeria, were determined along with the physicochemical characteristics of the seed oil. The seeds had the following chemical compositions moisture (8.43 g/100 g), ash (5.89 g/100 g), crude lipid (9.58 g/100 g), crude protein (12.45 g/100 g) crude fiber (8.66 g/100 g) and carbohydrate (63.65 g/100 g). Calcium and potassium were the major minerals in the seed. The extracted lipid was examined for fatty acid composition. Linoleic (45.1 g/100 g) and oleic (26.5 g/100 g) acids were the predominant unsaturated fatty acids, while palmitic acid (18.0 g/100 g) was the major saturated acid. The iodine value of 97 g/100 g indicates that the seed oil is a non-drying type.     

Chemical composition and nutritional quality of five peanut cultivars grown in Pakistan

Four high yielding imported and one local peanut cultivar, grown under local soil and climatic conditions, were compared for their chemical composition and nutritional quality. The local cultivar Kurram contained the maximum protein (28.3%) and the imported cultivar No. 45 contained the maximum oil content (49.5%). K, Mg, P, Fe, Zn, Cu and Mn were present in nutritionally significant and comparable amounts in all the cultivars. Lysine was the first limiting amino acid in all the cultivars. The chemical scores and net protein utilization (operative) values were higher for the imported than local cultivar while net dietary protein calories percent (NDP Cal%) values showed only minor variations among the five cultivars. Significant differences (P<0.05) were observed for protein, oil, Na, K, Ca, P and Zn contents of all the cultivars. Roasting (150°C, 1/2 h) decreased the lysine, threonine, methionine, cystine, arginine, tryptophan and tyrosine contents but increased the protein, oil, ash, fiber, mineral elements (except Na and C1), aspartic acid, serine, glutamic acid, proline and phenylalanine contents.     

Chemical composition and nutritional quality of sorghum flour and bread

Two Saudi Arabian sorghum cultivars, white and reddish white, were investigated for their chemical and nutritional quality. The two cultivars were similar in proximate composition (white 15.3% protein, reddish-white 15.9% protein), mineral profile, fatty acid composition, vitamin content (except vitamin-B₁₂ was higher in reddish-white), in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) and calculated protein efficiency ratio (C-PER). White sorghum had lower tannins (0.09% catechin equivalent) compared to the reddish-white (0.27% catechin equivalent). Lysine was the first limiting amino acid in both with chemical scores of 45 and 47 for the proteins of white and reddish-white cultivars, respectively. Baking had no effect on proximate, fatty acid and amino acid composition. However, it increased the Na and Ca contents but decreased the K, P, and pantothenic acid contents. Tannins were not detected in the breads. Breads fermented for 18 h had higher vitamin-B₁₂ and pantothenic acid levels but lower P content than unfermented breads. A slight increase in tyrosine, lysine, methionine contents as well as C-PER was also observed in fermented bread.     

Chemical composition of the underutilized legume Cassia hirsuta L.

Seven accessions of the underutilized legume, Cassia hirsuta L., seeds collected from seven different agroclimatic regions of Tamil Nadu, India, were analyzed for proximate composition, total proteins, protein fractions, mineral profiles and selected antinutritional factors. Crude protein ranged from 15.52 to 20.74%, crude lipid 3.77–7.04%, crude fiber4.68–6.92%, ash 3.98–6.42% and carbohydrates 62.45–70.16%. Energyvalues of the seeds were 1549–1634 kJ/100 g (DM), which are comparable to those of other legumes. Data on seed protein fractions revealed thatglobulins constituted the bulk of the seed protein as in most legumes. Mineralcontents of the seeds showed greater variation. Potassium was the mostabundant mineral (1029–1786 mg/100 g), whereas manganese was low (2.1–2.2 mg/100 g). Antinutritional factors such as total free phenolics,tannins, L-DOPA and lectins were analyzed. The results of the studydemonstrated that the accessions of C. hirsuta seeds collectedfrom Tamil Nadu, India, could be good sources of some important nutrientsfor humans.