Comparative Evaluation of Nutritional Qualities of Nymphaea lotus and Nymphaea pubescens Seeds

Aims: The study was aimed at evaluating the nutritional qualities of Nymphaea lotus and Nymphaea pubescens seeds.

Study Design: It was designed to determine the proximate and amino acids profiles of Nymphaea lotus and Nymphaea pubescens seeds to indicate their nutritional potentials.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, Bayero University, Kano State-Nigeria, between August 2016 and January 2017.

Methodology: Fresh seeds were collected, dried and grounded to smaller particle size. Standard official methods were employed in the proximate analysis while amino acids analysis was carried out using Technicon Sequential Multisample Amino Acid Analyser.

Results: The result of the proximate composition revealed the richness of both seeds in carbohydrates, crude lipids and proteins. The amino acid analysis revealed that amino acids were more concentrated in Nympahaea lotus seed with the total value of 73.82 g/100 g than 70.70 g/100 g of Nymphaea pubescens seed. The former also exceeded the later in total essential amino acids by difference of 1.12 g/100 g. The highest scoring amino acid was arginine in Nymphaea lotus seed and leucine in Nymphaea pubescens seed while methionine was the most limiting amino acid in both the samples. All the essential amino acids in both samples satisfied WHO/ FAO reference protein except histidine, valine and methionine. The P-PER of Nymphaea lotus seed and Nymphaea pubescens seed were found to be 1.69 and 1.54 respectively, meaning Nymphaea pubescens seed may be slightly more bioavailable than the Nymphaea lotus seed. The Lys/Arg ratio of Nymphaea lotus seed (0.84) and Nymphaea pubescens seed (1.09) indicate their low arthrogenic potential.

Conclusion: These results re-enforce the growing awareness that wild and semi-wild plant seeds can contribute useful amounts of essential nutrients to human diets.