Extraction of protein from the leaves of some plants growing in Ghana

Extracts were made from the fresh leaves of 60 tropical species by mincing them and squeezing the resultant pulp through cotton cloth. Total‐N and protein‐N determinations were made on the extracted juice, and the percentages of total N and protein N extracted and total N remaining in the fibre were calculated. Small samples of crude protein were precipitated from the sap at 80° and analysed for total N. The results are classified according to the extractability of protein N from the leaf and to the protein content of the product isolated. The legumes, most of which were specially grown, were the best sources of easily extractable and good quality protein, but good results were also obtained with a few of the more common weeds, which in general yielded more protein than the leaves from existing crops. Leaves of some species contained much mucilage or fibre, and it was difficult to make adequate extracts from them by the method described.