Abstract:
Amaranthus is a cosmopolitan genus of annual and perennial plants. Worldwide, amaranths are
cereals, leaf vegetables, or ornamental plants. Two African species of amaranthus grain; Amaranthus cruentus
and Amaranthus hypochondriacus from selected regions in Kenya (Bondo, Bureti, Embu, Kenyatta University
(KU), Kisumu, Kitale, Meru and Nyeri) were tested for oil content and fatty acid profiles. The oils from the
grains were extracted using Soxhlet method for the total lipid content and Dyer and Bligh method for the fatty
acid profile and oil oxidative stability. The fatty acid composition was determined using gas chromatography.
The study showed that statistically there was no difference in the composition of oil among the various regions.
The fatty acid profile for Amaranthus cruentus included: linoleic acid (35–38%), oleic acid (32–36%), palmitic
acid (22–24%), stearic acid (2–4%), and linolenic acid (1–2%). There was no significant difference in the
composition of fatty acids in the two species of amaranth studied except oleic and linoleic acids. The fatty acid
profile for Amaranthus hypochondriacus was: linoleic (41–44%), oleic (26–34%), palmitic (19–24%), stearic (2–
3%), and linolenic acid (1–3%) with no significant differences in the selected regions. The present study reported
capric, lauric, myristic, pentadecanoic, palmitoleic and heptadecanoic acids for the first time though in small
amounts. The total lipid component ranged from 7 to 10% for Amaranthus hypochondriacus and 7 to 9% for
Amaranthus cruentus. The results of the study compared well with those done earlier in other countries.
