Acacia seed is a promising famine food due to its ability to thrive in dry zones of the world. In this study, some chemical compounds of nutritional importance as well as starch hydrolysis in three cultivars of Acacia tumida and A. colei were determined. The crude protein was 20.6–23.0%, while extractable protein was 11.5–17.5%. Total dietary fiber (TDF) (28.5–32.7%) and soluble dietary fiber (SDF) (2.2–5.8%) were higher than values reported for most legumes. Reducing sugar range was 31.0–54.5 mg/g, while total sugar range was 137–161 mg/g. The starch content of the seed was 25.6–32.3%. The samples did not contain any alkaloid but did contain saponins. Phytate and trypsin inhibitor contents were low; oxalate was fairly high (2.2–2.6 g/100 g), but tannin was on the high side 66.0–86.7 mg/g) compared with legumes. In vitro starch digestibility was highest in A. tumida (III). Using a first‐order kinetic equation, A. colei showed the highest initial rate of starch hydrolysis (t1/2 = 411.56 and 1,893.4 min), followed by A. tumida (III) (539.25 and 1,738.1 min); the lowest vales were for A. tumida (II) (1,764.99 and 4,249.8 min) for both methods of starch digestion.

Two essential amino acids (methionine and tryptophan); anti-nutritional factors (tannin and trypsin inhibitor) and toxic elements (Pb, Cd, Ni, As, Hg and Cr) were determined spectrophotometrically from five edible wild mushrooms. The tryptophan content was between 1.00 and 1.82 g (100 g) )1 but methionine was low at 0.26-1.38 g (100 g) )1 . Tannin content was high (30.3-40.0 mg g )1 ) but trypsin inhibitor was low (22.0-39.5 TIU g )1 ). Trace elements analysis reviled Pb (0.34-5.06 mg kg )1 ) to be the highest of all the trace elements. Cd was (0.06-1.70 mg kg )1 ), Ni (0.26-2.08 mg kg )1 ), As (0.17-0.92 mg kg )1 ), Hg (0.01-0.05 mg kg )1 ) and Cr (0.04-0.22 mg kg )1 ). These mushrooms are nutritious but must be well processed to eliminate or at least reduce the levels of tannin and Pb to improve their nutritional values.