Amino Acid Profile and Proximate Analysis of Fermented African Locust Bean (Parkia biglobosa) Seeds

Fermented Parkia biglobosa seeds nutritional content makes it suitable for use as a popular flavour intensifier in soups, stews and also as protein rich condiment in low protein content foods like vegetables. This study was aimed at determining the amino acid profile and proximate content of fermented African locust bean. The sample was prepared by boiling, dehulling and then fermenting the African locust bean. The analysis of the amino acid profile and proximate composition was done using standard procedures to evaluate the seeds nutritional potential. The results of amino acid profile revealed the following: 3.58 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of lysine, 0.22 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of tryptophan, 2.69 ± 0.00 mg/100 g of leucine, 3.01 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of iso-leucine, 0.92 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of cysteine, 1.36 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of methionine, 1.11 ± 0.00 mg/100 g of valine, 1.34 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of tyrosine, 1.23 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of glycine, 3.00 ± 0.00 mg/100 g of arginine, 2.61 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of phenylalanine, 6.14 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of aspartic acid, 5.11 ± 0.00 mg/100 g of glutamic acid, 0.99 ± 0.00 mg/100 g of serine, 3.68 ± 0.02 mg/100 g of proline, 4.12 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of alanine, 1.15 ± 0.01 mg/100 g of histidine and 1.22 ± 0.00 mg/100 g of threonine. The results of proximate analysis showed the following: 4.78 ± 1.70 % of moisture content, 5.40 ± 0.07 % of ash content, 11.00 ± 0.29 % of crude fats, 6.00 ± 0.02 % of crude fibre, 20.56 ± 0.04 % of crude protein and 52.25 ± 0.01 % of carbohydrate content. The result showed that lysine and iso-leucine were the highest essential amino acid found while aspartic and glutamic acid where the highest for non-essential amino-acids. The crude protein content was high and could be due to the fermentation. The study on amino acid profile and proximate composition showed that fermented Parkia biglobosa seeds contained high protein content and can serve as a valuable dietary supplement, particularly in protein-deficient regions.