Amino acid composition of Moringa leaves. Amino acid profiles are presented in Table 10. The
amino acid content (g/16g N) of unextracted leaves was lower than that of extracted leaves which is
due to the presence of a higher amount of non protein nitrogen in the unextracted leaves (4.7 vs 2.7
%). The potential food value of the protein (as a source of amino acids) can be evaluated by
comparison with the FAO reference pattern (Zarkadas et al., 1995). All essential amino acids are at
higher than adequate concentrations when compared with the recommended amino acid pattern of the
FAO/WHO/UNO reference protein for 2 to 5 year old children. A comparison between the amino acid
composition of extracted and unextracted leaves and that of soybeans (Bau et al., 1994; Sarkar and
Peace, 1994) revealed an almost identical pattern of all essential amino acids.