Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences
ISSN: 2276-7770; ICV: 6.15
Vol. 3 (3), pp. 204-210, March 2013
Copyright ©2017, the copyright of this article is retained by the author(s)
http://gjournals.org/GJAS
Research Article
Proximate Analysis, Mineral Content,
Amino Acid Composition and Functional
Properties of Vernonia amygdalina
Vegetable Leaf Protein Concentrates
Sodamade A.
Department of Chemistry, Emmanuel Alayande College Ofof Education. P.M.B 1010, Oyo.
ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT
Article No.: 011613386
DOI: 10.15580/GJAS.2013.3.011613386
Freshly harvested Vernonia amygdalina green vegetable was authenticated and
processed for its vegetable leaf protein concentrates with a view to evaluate its
proximate constituents, amino acid content and mineral composition. Proximate
analysis was determined using standard analytical technique. The nutrient
composition of the protein concentrates revealed the moisture content (66.45±0.07),
Crude fat (9.20 ±0.85), Crude fibre (10.46±1.05), Crude protein (44.28 ±2.43), ash
(12.48± 0.24) and Carbohydrate (23.58±3.4). The mineral content of the sample
indicated that Ca, Mg, K, and Na are the most abundant minerals with the following
values Na;57.5±0.34,Ca;151.6±1.40, K; 61.5±0.38, Mg; 96.5±0.96, other minerals that
were present in the sample in trace concentration are Fe(2.3 ± 0.42), Zn (1.11± 0.11),
Mn (0.1± 0.14), Cu (0.1 ± 0.73), Pb (0.1± 0.63),while Selenium were not detected in the
sample indicating that the leaf concentrate is fit for dietary consumption. The amino
acid profile reveals favourable nutritional balance with the presence of essential and
non-essential amino acid except that tryptophan which was believed to be
predominant in animal protein was not detected.
Submitted: 16/01/2013
Accepted: 10/02/2013
Published: 20/03/2013
*Corresponding Author
Sodamade A.
E-mail: abbey4uselect@yahoo.com
or abbey01@fastmail.net or
abbeyelectrochemical@hotmail.com
Keywords:
Leaf protein, leaf concentrate,
Vernonia amygdalina