Original research articleChemometric analysis on free amino acids and proximate compositional data for selecting cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L.) diversity

•Portuguese cultivars of cowpea varied in nutritional composition.•The varieties 'Vg50' and 'Vg58' are the best sources of nutrients.•The content in free amino acids suggests divergence in the germinating potential.•Chemometric analysis discriminated the most promising cultivars.

Biodiversity of cowpea, along with the interesting agricultural and nutritional properties, has encouraged research with local landraces of Portugal. This work deals with the composition of dry beans of cowpea from 28 different Portuguese cultivars concerning dry matter (DM), crude proteins (CP), fat content (FC), ash, and concentration of free essential and non-essential amino acids. Data obtained on these traits showed contents of DM, FC, ash, and CP in the ranges of 95.7-98.9%, 1.0-1.6%, 2.7-4.7%, and 18.6-26.9%, respectively. The content in free amino acids was evaluated as an indicator of germinating potential of the diverse cultivars assessed. The amino acids content was the highest in the varieties 'Vg50' and 'Vg58'. Cluster and principal component analyses of the data allowed the identification of the most promising Portuguese landraces of cowpea to be used for breeding new varieties with improved germination potential and nutritional traits.

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