Vegetos
(An International Journal of Plant Research & Biotechnology)
Amino acid composition of pigeon pea varieties through HPTLC
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Suthar Kirankumar P., Singh Diwakar, Patel Nitin B., Chauhan Digvijay A., Katagi Rajkumar B., Lakhani Komal G.
Research Articles | Published: 18 November, 2025
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Keywords: HPTLC, Pigeon pea, Amino acid composition
Abstract
Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Huth) plays a pivotal role in sustaining the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in tropical and subtropical regions by contributing significantly to food and feed security, particularly as a vital source of dietary protein. Its unique amino acid profile holds immense potential for complementing cereal-based diets, thereby enabling the development of balanced protein sources and promoting nutritional security. In this study, High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) was employed to analyze the amino acid composition of twelve released pigeon pea varieties, revealing considerable genetic and nutritional variation. The optimization of chromatographic conditions showed that the mobile phase acetic acid, water, and n-butanol (4:5:1, v/v/v) gave the best separation, producing sharp, well-defined bands with very little spreading. A total of fourteen amino acids were identified, with retardation factor (Rf) values ranging from 0.05 to 0.52; among these, eight were essential and six were non-essential Among the essential amino acids, the Banas variety recorded the highest concentrations of tryptophan (11.77 mg/g) and arginine (19.69 mg/g). Additionally, AGT-2 exhibited the highest phenylalanine content (26.07 mg/g), GJP-1 had the highest lysine (6.58 mg/g), AVPP-1 the highest leucine (12.05 mg/g), GT-103 the highest histidine (9.18 mg/g) and methionine (4.10 mg/g), while GT-102 displayed the highest valine (1.36 mg/g). These substantial variations are likely attributed to the diverse genetic backgrounds and specific breeding objectives of each variety. The findings underscore the genetic potential within released pigeon pea varieties for enhancing protein quality through breeding. Varieties with superior amino acid profiles may serve as valuable parental lines in future crop improvement programs aimed at achieving a balanced amino acid composition, especially to complement cereal-based diets in protein-deficient regions.
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Author Information
Department of Basic Sciences, ASPEE College of Horticulture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, India