Comparative assessment of the amino acids content of some legumes species in Southern Ukraine

Abstract

The data on the composition and amount of amino acids have been analyzed in the raw materials of five legume species. All of them grow in Southern Ukrainian flora (Securigera varia (L.) Lassen, Vicia cracca L., Lupinus luteus L., Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall., Melilotus albus Medic.) and may be used as a source of amino acids, especially essential, whose resource has to be replenished from the outside. Aim. We have studied and compared the amino acid profile of some species of the Ukrainian South Legumes, and used the multidimensional statistical cluster analysis to construction of histograms based on the amino acids content and composition of such plants as: Securigera varia (L.) Lassen, Vicia cracca L., Lupinus luteus L., Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall., Melilotus albus Medic. Materials and methods. The raw materials were harvested at the South of Ukraine and were investigated by gas-liquid chromatography. The amino acid analyzer has been used after hydrochloric acid hydrolysis at elevated temperature. Results. 19 amino acids have been identified, of which nine are essential or partially interchangeable. The non-polar amino acid proline is in the lead in terms of quantity among the essential amino acids. Its amount was 6932 mg/100 g and the ability to accumulate it was noted in Melilotus officinalis (2276 mg/100 g). The smallest proline amount was found in Lupinus luteus (388 mg/100 g). The sulfur-containing non-polar amino acid methionine is in the smallest amount in the selected plants (506 mg/100 g). Our attention was drawn to the absence of the polar amino acid glutamine among the non-essential amino acids in some plants. Securigera varia, Vicia cracca, and Melilotus officinalis did not contain glutamine. In this subgroup, the polar aspartic acid was found in the highest amount (6824 mg/100 g) with the highest content in Vicia cracca and the lowest – in Melilotus albus (2660 mg/100 g and 385 mg/100 g, respectively). Conclusions. The analysis of the presence and number of amino acids was the basis for our multidimensional statistical cluster analysis and histograms of the presentation of the amino acid profile of the studied plant members of the family Fabaceae L. In constructing the dendrogram, three clusters were identified, and representatives of one genus (Melilotus L.) were attributed to different clusters which is significant for further chemosystematic studies.