Biochemical analysis and safety of maize hybrids grown in the republic of Burundi

An important issue that confronts today’s world is achieving food security for a projected population of 10 billion people by 2050. According to the definition adopted by World Food Summit in 1996, food security exists when all people at all times have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life. The objective of this study was the evaluation of biochemical composition of maize hybrid varieties popularly grown in Burundi. Maize hybrids were introduced in the Burundi agricultural system principally because of their high productivity, thus effectively responding to the food security challenge. Samples were sourced from the Burundi Institute of Agricultural Sciences and analyzed in laboratory of physical and chemical analysis of the Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education “Kuban State Agrarian University named after I.T. Trubilin” according to different standard, guidelines and frameworks. The amino acid composition of the maize hybrids varied as follows: Valine (0.28 to 0.34 mg/g), Lysine (0.18 to o.21 mg/g), Phenylalanine (0.28 to 0.30 mg/g), Leucine and Isoleucine (0.93 to 1.02 mg/g), Methionine (0.14 to 0.15 mg/g), Threonine (0.23 to 0.26 mg/g) and Tryptophan (0.019 to 0.03 mg/g). It was found that the total amino acids varied from 2.11 mg/g to 2.30 mg/g, which was a little less comparative to durum wheat, 3.72 mg/g. The results of microelement composition in the hybrid varieties varied as follows: Potassium (0.06-0.32 mg/g), Calcium (0.04-0.17 mg/g), Magnesium (0.014- 0.077 mg/g), Sodium (0.064- 0.121 mg/g), Chloride (0.022- 0.028), Sulfate (0.37- 0.38 mg/g) and Phosphate (0.27- 0.39 mg/g). It was concluded that the maize hybrids generally lack two essential amino acids namely lysine and tryptophan as landrace maize varieties.