| Summary: | The chemical composition of the seed of conacaste (Enterolobium cyclocarpum), raw or cooked, was determined. The kernel contains 32–41% of protein, and the husk, more calcium and fiber and less phosphorus and protein than the kernel.
The amino acid content was also studied. The kernel protein showed a good essential amino acid pattern; it is high in lysine and low in methionine. Biological studies in rats showed this protein to be of relatively high quality, but not as good as that of soybean or cottonseed meal.
In trials with chicks, conacaste kernel flour could not replace soybean flour but could partially substitute cottonseed meal. These results indicate that the seed contains a toxic factor for chicks but not for rats. The methionine deficiency in conacaste seed protein is higher than that of soybean meal, probably due to a lower digestibility of the former.
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