TITLE:
Characterization of Seed Storage Proteins in Eight Bambara Groundnut Landraces in Burkina Faso
AUTHORS:
Assita Traoré-Barro, Emmanuel A. M. Thiombiano, Karidiatou Gnankambary, Mounyratou Rabo, Orokia Coulibaly, Salimata Traoré, Oumar Traoré
KEYWORDS:
Bambara Groundnut, Landraces, Protein, Protein Fractions
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.14 No.9,
September
6,
2023
ABSTRACT: The Bambara groundnut Vigna subterranea (L.) Verdc. is a drought-resistant indigenous African grain legume with significant nutritional and agronomic potential. This study aimed to characterize the seed storage proteins of eight Bambara groundnut landraces. Seeds of Bambara groundnut landraces were collected from local markets in Burkina Faso, and total soluble protein as well as protein fractions were extracted. Crude protein content was determined by the Kjeldahl method, and soluble proteins were quantified using Bradford dye binding assay. The average crude protein content of the seeds was found to be 18.46%, with variations ranging from 17.69% to 19.17% among the different landraces. Most of the protein content was soluble, constituting approximately 87.04% of the total crude protein. Albumin fraction was the most dominant, representing about 95.42% of the total soluble proteins. The globulin, prolamin and glutelin fractions accounted for 1.82%, 0.13% and 1.17% of the soluble proteins, respectively. The findings provide valuable insights into the protein composition of Bambara groundnut landraces and contribute to our understanding of its nutritional potential, laying the groundwork for further research on crop improvement and sustainable agriculture practices.