Agriculture & Food ISSN 1314-8591, Volume 5, 2017 Journal of International Scientific Publications www.scientific-publications.net Page 66 ALFALFA CONCENTRATE – A RICH SOURCE OF NUTRIENTS FOR USE IN FOOD PRODUCTS Livia Apostol 1 , Sorin Iorga 1 , Claudia Mosoiu 1 , Radu Ciprian Racovita 1 , Oana Mihaela Niculae 1 , Gabriela Vlasceanu 2 1 National Research & Development Institute for Food Bioresources – IBA Bucharest, 6 Dinu Vintila Street, Bucharest, Romania 2 Hofigal Export – Import SA, 2 Intrarea Serelor Street, Bucharest, Romania Abstract Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is primarily grown for and used in animal feed, but in recent years it started to be used more often for human nutrition, as it is a rich source of easily assimilated proteins, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, selenium, organic silicon, manganese), vitamins (C, K, D, E, U, provitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid/B9, biotin, niacin), as well as β-carotene and eight essential amino acids (alanine, lysine, arginine, histidine, cysteine, proline, methionine, tyrosine). The aim of the study herein was to evaluate the chemical composition of the alfalfa concentrate, a by- product obtained at the end of the production process for the dietary supplement "Alfalfa Complex". Alfalfa concentrate was found to be a rich source of dietary minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Fe) and dietary fibers. The amino acid composition recorded was: Threonine (0,66%); Lysine (0,71%); Leucine (1,26%); Isoleucine (0,67%); Valine (0,89%); Methionine (0,26%); Phenylalanine (0,84%); Histidine (0,30%); Aspartic acid (1,17%); Tyrosine (0,46%); Cysteine (0,11%); Alanine (0,89%); Glycine (0,80%); Proline (0,95%); Arginine (0,73%); Serine (0,69%); Glutamic acid (1,51%). The chemical characterization performed in this study is evidence that the alfalfa concentrate can serve as a valuable source of nutritional components for the food industry. Key words: alfalfa, amino acids, mineral content, dietary fiber 1. INTRODUCTION Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a legume that has been cultivated for about 2000 years and mainly used in animal nutrition due to its high protein and fiber contents, ranging from 170 to 220 g of protein and about 40–50% of cellulose and lignin per kilogram of shoot dry weight (Gawel & Grzelak 2014). The latest trends for inexpensive sources of proteins generated an increased interest in plant proteins, as a supplement or replacement of more expensive animal proteins. Although primarily used in animal feed, alfalfa has been introduced recently into human diet due to its richness in easily assimilated proteins, minerals, vitamins, and essential amino acids. Furthermore, as a nutritious food, the herb has a mild flavor and works well in salads, tortillas, croquettes, puddings, soups and casseroles. In Europe, it is mainly consumed as sprouts, which are added to salads and sandwiches either raw or cooked (Mielmann 2013). Alfalfa is usually available as a nutritional supplement (capsules, tablets, powder) consisting of plant protein isolate or powdered aerial part, as well as in the form of infusions from leaves and seeds. Due to its rich content in proteins, vitamins, minerals, isoflavones and other substances with estrogenic activity, anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidant activity (carotens, chlorophyll), alfalfa can be used as an efficient functional ingredient in the dietary prevention and treatment of several metabolic conditions, especially the metabolic syndrome (Lamsal et al. 2007, Bora & Sharma 2011, Sadeghi et al. 2016) Leaves of alfalfa, in particular, have significant potential for human use due to their nutritive value and their high yields of protein per hectare (Pirie 1972).