Chemical characterization of Achyranthes bidentata seed

Abstract

The chemical compositions of seeds of Achyranthes bidentata (AB) were determined and compared to those commonly found within the same Amaranthaceae family, i.e. genus Amaranthus and to those of more common cereal grains. The study revealed that AB seeds were substantially higher in nutritionally important minerals, such as phosporus, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron, as well as being substantially higher in total protein (1.6–2.4 times higher) than other grains. In addition to the higher edible oil content found in AB seeds, its lower saturated/unsaturated ratio make it potentially a superior source of nutritional oil. Although the study found that total vitamin E content in AB seed was 1.6 times higher than that of Amaranthus seeds, only small quantities of squalene, i.e. approximately 2.3% were found to be present in the oil. Overall, the study revealed that AB seeds had high levels of nutritionally important components and they may be of significant importance in the formulation of diets for humans and animal.