AbstractPods and seeds of tree legumes are widely used as food in developing countries since tree legumes can be grown with minimal inputs of capital and energy.1The data presented here show that the protein content of the seed of different legumes ranges from 16 to 69 of the dry weight, and methionine, cystine and tryptophan content ranges from 44 to 121 mg/gN, 14 to 156 mg/gN and 40 to 109 mg/gN respectively. The chemical score of the protein fromPithecellobium lobatumwas 0.79 which compared to 0.58 and 0.47 for casein and soy protein respectively. This variability in protein content and in amino acid composition indicates that there is sufficient genetic variability in the family to permit improvement by selection and breeding.
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