Biochemical Studies on Indian Wild Legumes

Chemical screening of some profusely growing wild leguminous seeds of Acacia, Albizzia and Leucaena species, for their nutritional constituents suggested the possibility of their inclusion in animal nutrition. However, since the whole seeds proved to be unpalatable as well as toxic in some cases, it was thought of utility to employ their isolated proteins instead. Accordingly, with a view to explore newer and effective sources of dietary proteins, simple and effective solubility method was employed for their extraction, precipitation, fractionation and isolation from the undesirable wild seed constituents to obtain the protein fractions in the pure form which could be incorporated in animal nutrition. Distribution of total nitrogen and dispersion of nitrogenous constituents in the seeds have also been studied. Extraction of proteins of considerable purity is best effected with sodium chloride solution (5%, w/v) and subsequent dialysis of the extract. Proteins were isolated from seven varieties of leguminous seeds by acid-alkali extraction method and their protein efficiency ratio and the biological value have been evaluated by animal experiments with and without supplementing the isolated protein diets with the missing essential amino acids.