Evaluation of four Amaranthus Species Through Protein Electrophoretic Patterns and their Amino Acid Composition

Amaranth seed proteins of four species, Amaranthus cruentus, A. flavus, A. caudatus, and A. hypochondriacus, were fractionated as albumins and globulins, alcohol-soluble proteins A1 and A2, and glutelins G2 and G3. Their average values were 61.3, 1.4, and 24.1, respectively. The main protein subunits have molecular masses of between 10 and 45 kDa. Variations, found for some minor bands, were also detected by amino acid analysis. Albumins, globulins, and glutelin G3 have much higher lysine contents than the alcohol-soluble and glutelin G2 protein fractions. Globulins were only intermediate in comparative contents of methionine and cystine.