Physical Properties, Chemical Composition and Nutritional Quality Potentials of Lonchocarpus sericeus (Cube root) Seeds and Seed Oil

Physical properties, chemical composition, and nutritional quality potentials of the seeds of Lonchocarpus sericeus (cube root) were investigated. The water absorption properties of the seeds were measured both gravimetrically as hydration capacity (0.02±0.005 g/seed), and hydration index (0.06±0.01) and volumetrically as swelling capacity (0.01±0.00 mL/seed) and the swelling index   (1.2x10-4±0.00). A 100 g of seeds contained 17.53±2.08, 38.83±4.16, 3.18±0.19, 24.93±3.21, 29.96±3.82, and 3.10±0.89 g moisture, crude fiber, ash, crude fat, crude protein, and nitrogen-free extract (NFE), respectively; Further, the sample had per 100 g 149.20±0.24 kJ gross energy, 848±16.1, 722±10.0, 720±9.1, 230±8.2, and 224±8.1 mg Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and Na, respectively. The seed also contained 3.14±0.12, 2.18±0.32 and 4.30±0.06 mg/g tannin, oxalate, and saponin, respectively. The essential-to-total amino acid ratio (E/T, %) was 44.10 %; the average predicted protein efficiency ratio (PER) was 2.70, while the predicted biological value (BV) was 34.85. Elaidic acid was the most significant fatty acid (46.32 %) found in the seeds with a total saturated and unsaturated fatty acids of 46.14 and 50.50 %, respectively. The oil of L. sericeus was equally rich in bioactive compounds, including tocopherols, sterols, phospholipids, tocotrienols, and terpenoids with a concentration of 50.09, 479.13, 333.14, 1.34, and 3.33 x 10-4 mg/100g, respectively. L. sericeus seed can be a potential source of dietary energy, industrial oil, bioactive compounds, and vegetable protein.