Agriculture & Food, Volume 5, 2017

Abstract: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is primarily grown for and used in animal feed, but in recent years it started to be used more often for human nutrition, as it is a rich source of easily assimilated proteins, minerals (calcium, phosphorus, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, copper, selenium, organic silicon, manganese), vitamins (C, K, D, E, U, provitamin A, B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid/B9, biotin, niacin), as well as β-carotene and eight essential amino acids (alanine, lysine, arginine, histidine, cysteine, proline, methionine, tyrosine). The aim of the study herein was to evaluate the chemical composition of the alfalfa concentrate, a by-product obtained at the end of the production process for the dietary supplement "Alfalfa Complex". Alfalfa concentrate was found to be a rich source of dietary minerals (K, Ca, Mg, Fe) and dietary fibers. The amino acid composition recorded was: Threonine (0,66%); Lysine (0,71%); Leucine (1,26%); Isoleucine (0,67%); Valine (0,89%); Methionine (0,26%); Phenylalanine (0,84%); Histidine (0,30%); Aspartic acid (1,17%); Tyrosine (0,46%); Cysteine (0,11%); Alanine (0,89%); Glycine (0,80%); Proline (0,95%); Arginine (0,73%); Serine (0,69%); Glutamic acid (1,51%). The chemical characterization performed in this study is evidence that the alfalfa concentrate can serve as a valuable source of nutritional components for the food industry.