The Bambara groundnut Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc. is a drought-resistant indigenous African grain legume with significant nutritional and agronomic potential. This study aimed to characterize the seed storage proteins of eight Bambara groundnut landraces. Seeds of Bambara groundnut landraces were collected from local markets in Burkina Faso, and total soluble protein as well as protein fractions were extracted. Crude protein content was determined by the Kjeldahl method, and soluble proteins were quantified using Bradford dye binding assay. The average crude protein content of the seeds was found to be 18.46%, with variations ranging from 17.69% to 19.17% among the different landraces. Most of the protein content was soluble, constituting approximately 87.04% of the total crude protein. Albumin fraction was the most dominant, representing about 95.42% of the total soluble proteins. The globulin, prolamin and glutelin fractions accounted for 1.82%, 0.13% and 1.17% of the soluble proteins, respectively. The findings provide valuable insights into the protein composition of Bambara groundnut landraces and contribute to our understanding of its nutritional potential, laying the groundwork for further research on crop improvement and sustainable agriculture practices.
References
[1]
Okonkwo, S.I. and Opara, M.F. (2010) The Analysis of Bambara Nut (Voandzeia subterranea (L.) thouars) for Sustainability in Africa. Research Journal of Applied Sciences, 5, 394-396. https://doi.org/10.3923/rjasci.2010.394.396
[2]
Adebowale, Y.A., Schwarzenbolz, U. and Henle, T. (2011) Isolates from Bambara Groundnut (Voandzeia Subterranean L.): Chemical Characterization and Functional Properties. International Journal of Food Properties, 14, 758-775. https://doi.org/10.1080/10942910903420743
[3]
Azman-Halimi, R., Barkla, B.J., Mayes, S. and King, G.J. (2019) The Potential of the Underutilized Pulse Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.) for Nutritional Food Security. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 77, 47-59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2018.12.008
[4]
Tan, X.L., Azam-Ali, S., Goh, E.V., Mustafa, M., Chai, H.H., Ho, W.K., Mayes, S., Mabhaudhi, T., Azam-Ali, S. and Massawe, F. (2020) Bambara Groundnut: An Underutilized Leguminous Crop for Global Food Security and Nutrition. Frontiers in Nutrition, 7, Article 601496. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2020.601496
[5]
Azman-Halimi, R., Raymond, C.A., Barkla, B.J., Mayes, S. and King, G.J. (2022) Development of Selection Indices for Improvement of Seed Yield and Lipid Composition in Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc.). Foods, 11, Article No. 86. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11010086
[6]
FAOSTAT (2023) Agricultural Production, Crop Primary Database. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome. http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QC/
[7]
Azam-Ali, S.N., Sesay, A., Karikari, S.K., Massawe, F.J., Aguilar-Manjarrez, J., Bannayan, M. and Hampson, K.J. (2001) Assessing the Potential of an Underutilized Crop—A Case Study Using Bambara Groundnut. Experimental Agriculture, 37, 433-472. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0014479701000412
[8]
Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) (2005) Official Methods of Analysis of the Association of Official Analytical Chemists. 18th Edition, AOAC, Gaithersburg.
[9]
Hameed, A., Shah, T.M., Atta, B.M., Iqbal, N., Haq, M.A. and Ali, H. (2009) Comparative Seed Storage Protein Profiling of Kabuli Chickpea Genotypes. Pakistan Journal of Botany, 41, 703-710.
[10]
Saminu, N.M. and Muhammad, Y.Y. (2021) Seed Storage Protein Changes and Mobilization Pattern in Bambaranut (Vigna subterranea) (L.) Verdc. during Germination. Plant Science Today, 8, 1049-1056. https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.2021.8.4.1257
[11]
Bradford, M.M. (1976) A Rapid and Sensitive Method for the Quantitation of Microgram Quantities of Protein Utilizing the Principle of Protein-Dye Binding. Analytical Biochemistry, 72, 248-254. https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(76)90527-3
[12]
Ernst, O. and Zor, T. (2010) Linearization of the Bradford Protein Assay. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 38, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3791/1918-v
[13]
Ragab, D.M., Babiker, E.E. and Eltinay, A.H. (2004) Fractionation, Solubility and Functional Properties of Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Proteins as Affected by pH and/or Salt Concentration. Food Chemistry, 84, 207-212. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0308-8146(03)00203-6
[14]
Rodríguez, P., Pérez, E., Romel, G. and Dufour, D. (2011) Characterization of the Proteins Fractions Extracted from Leaves of Amaranthus dubius (Amaranthus spp.). African Journal of Food Science, 5, 417-424.
[15]
R Core Team (2022) R: A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. https://www.R-project.org/
[16]
Doku, E.V., Hammonds, T.W. and Francis, B.J. (1978) On the Composition of Ghanaian Bambara Groundnuts (Voandzeia subterranea Thouars). Tropical Science, 20, 263-269.
[17]
Hillocks, R.J., Bennett, C. and Mponda, O.M. (2012) Bambara Nut: A Review of Utilisation, Market Potential and Crop Improvement. African Crop Science Journal, 20, 1-16.
[18]
Murevanhema, Y.Y. and Jideani, V.A. (2013) Potential of Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc) Milk as a Probiotic Beverage—A Review. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, 53, 954-967. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2011.574803
[19]
Arise, A.K., Amonsou, E.O. and Ijabadeniyi, O.A. (2015) Influence of Extraction Methods on Functional Properties of Protein Concentrates Prepared from South African Bambara Groundnut Landraces. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, 50, 1095-1101. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.12746
[20]
Poulter, N.H. (1981) Properties of Some Protein Fractions from Bambara Groundnut [Voandzeia subterranea (L.) Thouars]. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, 32, 44-50. https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.2740320108
[21]
Doku, E.V., Hammonds, T.W. and Francis, B.J. (1978) On the Composition of Ghanaian Bambara Groundnuts (Voandzeia subterranea Thouars). Tropical Science, 20, 263-269.
[22]
Yagoub, A.A.E.-G. and Abdalla, A.A. (2007) Effect of Domestic Processing Methods on Chemical Composition, in Vitro Digestibility of Protein and Starch and Functional Properties of Bambara Groundnut (Voandzeia subterranea) Seed. Research Journal of Agriculture and Biological Sciences, 3, 24-34.
[23]
Teka, T.A., Retta, N., Bultosa, G., Admassu, H. and Astatkie, T. (2020) Protein Fractions, in Vitro Protein Digestibility and Amino Acid Composition of Select Cowpea Varieties Grown in Ethiopia. Food Bioscience, 36, Article ID: 100634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2020.100634
[24]
Vasconcelos, I.M., Maia, F.M.M., Farias, D.F., Campello, C.C., Carvalho, A.F.U., de Azevedo Moreira, R. and Abreu de Oliveira, J.T. (2010) Protein Fractions, Amino Acid Composition and Antinutritional Constituents of High-Yielding Cowpea Cultivars. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 23, 54-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2009.05.008
