EN
This article reports the amino acid profiles of the innards of the male and female dry samples of Neopetrolisthes maculatus collected from the Atlantic Ocean at Orimedu beach in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria. The analytical results showed high values of amino acids being observed in both heterosexual samples (g 100g⁻¹ protein): 8.17-8.32 (Leu), 8.35-10.3 (Asp), 17.6-18.2 (Glu) and 7.76-9.55 (Arg) with total amino acid values being greater in female innards (97.6g100g⁻¹) than the male innards (95.5g 100g⁻¹). These quality parameters were instructive of the quality of the amino acids in the innards of N. maculatus: P-PER1, (2.83-3.01), P-PER2 (2.89-2.96), EAAI (88.7-89.0), BV (85.0-85.5), Lys/Trp (L/T) (3.00-5.01), Met/Trp (M/T) (1.78-3.50) and Phe/Tyr (1.04 - 1.65). The pI values were close at 5.46-5.57. In the amino acid groups (classes), the following trend was observed: class I > IV >V > VI > II > III > VII. For the amino acid scores: serine (0.487-0.511) was limiting in both samples on the total hen’s egg scoring pattern; in provisional scoring pattern, Lys was limiting in both samples with values of 0.820-0.889 and in the pre-school amino acid requirements, Lys was also limiting at 0.778-0.843. In the statistical analyses total amino acid profiles as well as egg scores were significantly different between the two samples whereas quality scores in pre-school amino acid requirements and provisional amino acid scoring pattern were both not significantly different between the two samples all at r=₌₀.₀₁. Among the EAAs, six out of nine (66.7%) were more concentrated in the male innards and three of nine (33.3%) were more concentrated in the female. Thus the overall summary showed the male innards amino acids were of better quality than in the female as shown: male innards EEA = 46.1 g100g⁻¹ and 46.0 g100g⁻¹ in the female with corresponding TNEAA of 49.3g 100g⁻¹ and 51.6g 100g⁻¹ respectively.