Water-soluble total sugars and total free amino acids of the two varieties of teff [Eragrostic tef (Zuccagni) Trotter] cultivated in different regions of Ethiopia

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Teff [Eragrostis tef (Zuccagni) Trotter] is cereal grain native to Ethiopia as staple food to millions of people. However, no research work has been reported for characterization with respect to water-soluble total sugars and total free amino acids in white and brown teff grains. The main objective of this study was to determine water-soluble total sugars and total free amino acids (TFAA) in the white and brown teff grain varieties. The determined water-soluble total sugar contents of white and brown teff grain sample extract was ranged between  2.69±0.12 – 4.56±0.08 g GE/100 g and 2.22±0.04 – 4.74±0.19  g GE/100 g, respectively. The mean TFAA contents for white and brown teff samples was found in the range between 181.4±30.0 – 638.9±42.6 mg AE/100 g and 471.7±37.0 – 927.1±32.4 mg AE/100 g, respectively. The mean value of the TFAA in brown teff samples was found higher than that of white teff samples. Pearson correlation was in the opposite direction, indicating that the biosynthetic pathways for the water-soluble total sugars and TFAA in both white and brown teff varieties might be opposite. Therefore, the present study indicated that teff is rich in the water-soluble total sugars and TFAA.   KEY WORDS: Teff, Sugars, Amino acids, Glucose, Ninhydrin, UV-Vis spectrophotometry   Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2023, 37(2), 299-313.                                               DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v37i2.5