Amino Acid Composition of Tamarind Fruit Growing Wild in Oyo Town

Abstract

Tamarind ( Tamarindus indica L.) fruit grows wild in some parts of the savannah region of Nigeria. The fruit is grossly underutilised in Nigeria, despite its invaluable contribution to the food security and economy of some Asian countries. The amino acid composition of tamarind pulp was determined using amino acid analyser. Tamarind pulp was found to contain both essential and non-essential amino acids. Tamarind pulp could supply 53.8 %, 52.8 %, and 87.6 % of total essential, total sulphur and total aromatic amino acids respectively (FAO/WHO/UNU standard).