Amino acid Profile of Trichosantes cucumerina from four Geopolitical Zones in Nigeria.

Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the amino acid profile of five (5) ecotypes of T. cucumerina (snake gourd) from four geopolitical zones in Nigeria. Fresh ripe fruit of T. cucumerina was collected from the research farm of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Umuahia Abia State Nigeria. The seeds were extracted from the fresh ripe fruit, blended and stored in the refrigerator for further use. Amino acid was determined using HPLC apparatus. Glutamate had the highest protein content which ranged from 14.4643-15.23094g/100 of protein; followed by aspartate with 2.0981-12.20628g/100 of protein, leucine with 7.20846-8.9831g/100 of protein. Glycine protein was the least with a ranged of 0.0435-4.2118g/100. The snake gourd amino acid profile was found highest in North-Central ecotype (Benue State) with a ranged of (1.115-14.46497) g/100 protein; followed by South-West ecotype (Ekiti and Osun States) with a range of (0.87481-12.20628), (0.0435-15. 23094) g/100protein respectively. South- East ecotype (Abia State) T.cucumerina result ranged from (0.54978-14.67031)g/100 protein. The least result was found in South-South ecotype snake gourd with 0.35514-14.46243g/100 protein. Variation in amino acid content in ripe fruits of T. cucumerina accessions investigated revealed that glycine had the highest coefficient variation of 140% followed by tyrosine with 54.31%, aspartate 47.56%, and least from valine 5.62%, isoleucine 7.05%, tryptophan 6.51% and cysteine 6.82% glutamate 2.14%. There were three clusters in the dendrogram of amino acid composition of selected snake tomato ecotypes investigated.  Amino acid result revealed that the highest amino acid content was found in snake gourd from the North -Central and least in South-South ecotype respectively. Keywords: Amino acid, Trichosanthes cucumerina, Ecotypes, South-East, South-South, South-West and North Central.