The edible portions of 10 different tropical fruits, namely, tucuma (Astrocaryum tucuma Mart.), avocado (Persea americana Mill.), mamey sapote (Pouteria sapota . E. Moore and Steam), longan (Euphoria longan Lour.), persimmon (Diospyros sonorae Standi.), mango (Mangifera indica L.), Cattley guava (Psidium littorale Raddi), sapodilla (Manilkara zapota L.), carambola (Auerrhoa carambola L.), and loquat (Eriobotrya japónica Lindl.), were analyzed for protein and amino acid composition. The crude protein contents of the fruits ranged from 0.4 to 2.7 g/100 g of fresh edible fruit pulp. Aspartic and glutamic acid were high in all fruits examined, and alanine, glycine, serine, hydroxyproline, and proline contents were relatively high in certain fruits. The amino acid compositions of these tropical fruits were compared with those of more traditional fruits (apple, orange, peach, apricot, and date). The tucuma palm fruit contained 5-10 times the amount of required amino acids in orange or apple.Accurate determination of the protein content and amino acid composition of food is important in nutritional research to provide a foundation for evaluating protein supplies and developing dietary recommendations. United Nation studies have pointed out that tropical and subtropical regions have the greatest need for programs to uncover indigenous sources of available protein. Considerable research has been conducted on nutrient composition of commercially grown tropical and subtropical fruits, particularly the many species of citrus and the common tropical fruits such as pineapple, banana, mango, and avocado. However, the research has generally not
