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Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University

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Amino acid composition of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties cultivated in the Kyrgyz Republic

Z Zhyldyz Batyrbasheva A Abdybek Asanaliev A Almaz Imanaliev V Victoria Sultanbaeva
Received 01.11.2025
Revised 13.02.2026
Published 10.03.2026

Abstract

Chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) are an important source of plant protein, but data on the biochemical composition of varieties cultivated in the Kyrgyz Republic are limited. The aim of the study was to determine the amino acid composition of the grains of three chickpea varieties (‘Kyrgyz Local’, ‘Uzbekistan 32’ and ‘Yulduz’) grown in the republic in order to assess their nutritional value. Average samples were selected according to the ISTA methodology from the 2024 harvest. Amino acid analysis was performed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) after acid hydrolysis with pre-column derivatisation with phenylisothiocyanate. The study revealed significant varietal differences in the content of individual amino acids. The highest methionine content was recorded in the ‘Kyrgyz Local’ variety (0.85 g/100 g), followed by ‘Yulduz’ (0.80 g/100 g) and ‘Uzbekistan 32’ (0.72 g/100 g). The lysine content ranged from 0.09 g/100 g (‘Yulduz’) to 0.14 g/100 g (‘Kyrgyz Local’). The dominant amino acids in all samples were aspartic acid (2.74-3.69 g/100 g) and cystine (1.53-2.70 g/100 g). The ‘Yulduz’ variety showed the highest histidine content (1.62 g/100 g), while ‘Uzbekistan 32’ had the highest tyrosine content (0.65 g/100 g). The results confirm the status of chickpeas as a valuable source of plant protein with a favourable amino acid profile and can be used in the development of balanced diets and functional foods in the Kyrgyz Republic

Keywords

biochemical profile; protein; high-performance liquid chromatography; lysine; methionine; arginine
Suggested citation
Batyrbasheva, Zh., Asanaliev, A., Imanaliev, A., & Sultanbaeva, V. (2026). Amino acid composition of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties cultivated in the Kyrgyz Republic. Bulletin of the Kyrgyz National Agrarian University, 24(1), 18-27. https://doi.org/10.63621/bknau./1.2026.18

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