Nutritional value and content of antinutritional compounds and toxics in ten wild legumes of Yucatan Peninsula

The chemical and toxicological composition of ten wild legumes collected in Yucatan, Mexico was determined. For each species the whole fruit, (seed and pod), were studied as well as the seed and pod separately. A higher protein content was found in the seeds ofA. lebbeck andP. saman (37.07 and 37.60% respectively). In the seeds ofL. longystilus, C. yucatanensis andP. keyense a high concentration of fat was found, especially in the first with 31.34%. A high quantity of fiber was found in the pods. In general, the samples were rich in lysine (especially seeds) and scant in sulfur amino acids and tryptophan. All the samples showed high concentration of potassium and calcium. Some of them exhibited significant concentrations of iron. The pods ofP. saman and P. keyense showed a high content of lectins. In the seeds ofC. yucatanensis and in the pod ofP. keyense high concentrations of trypsin inhibitors were found 60 and 406.7 TUI/mg sample respectively. The presence of saponins, was detected in seven samples, of which the seed ofP. keyense had the highest concentration. Alkaloids were found only in the whole fruit and pod ofP. saman and cyanogenic glucosides were present inA. pennatula. In general terms, the whole legume showed better digestibility than the pods alone.     

Chemical composition and content of antinutritional factors in Polish cultivars of peas

The seeds of 15 Polish pea varieties contained from 221 to 281 g/kg crude protein with a mean of 240.2±3.5 g/kg dry matter (DM). The weight of 1000 pea seeds, depending on cultivar, ranged from 209.4 to 280.4 g. No interactive effect between the seed mass and the crude protein content was detected. The highest significant negative correlation between weight of seeds and dietary fiber content wasr=−0.815^XX. The content of dietary fiber ranged from 161.5 to 209.9 g/kg with a mean of 187.9±3.8 g/kg. The mean gross energy of seeds was 18.1±0.28 MJ/kg. Amino acid composition of all the cultivars was similar, which was indicated by a similar index of essential amino acids (EAAI) of about 69.7±0.25. Trypsin inhibitor content in seeds was from 2.83 to 7.32 TIU/mg and the content of phytates ranged from 6.32 to 13.36 mg/g DM. The mean content of polyphenols and flavanols in analysed pea cultivars was 0.92 amd 0.46 mg/g, respectively. In the seeds of most cultivars little or no pyrimidine glucosides, i.e. vicine and convicine, were found. The overall mean oligosaccharide content was 64.3±1.8 g/kg, of which α-galactosides were 46.8±2.0 g/kg. The antinutritional factor content was not significantly correlated with protein content. No statistical relationship was found between crude protein and dietary fiber content. It was observed that pea cultivars with higher trypsin inhibitor activity contained significantly less flavanols (r=−0.607^X) and α-galactosides (r=−0.617^X). The varieties with higher seed content of dietary fiber contained the highest amount of α-galactosides (r=0.514^X).     

Effect ofCallosobruchus chinensis (Bruchid) infestation on antinutritional factors in stored legumes

Effect of bruchid infestation on selected antinutritional factors, saponin, phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor activities, of three (mung bean, chickpea and pigeon pea) legumes stored for six months was studied. The three antinutritional factors, saponin, phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), increased with increased storage period. Saponin, phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor activity values were significantly lower in control samples compared to stored infested samples. The difference between the contents of antinutritional factors were significant (p<0.05) during different storage periods.     

Effect of blanching on the content of antinutritional factors in selected vegetables

The effect of blanching on the antinutritional content was studied in cabbage, turnip, collard, sweetpotato and peanut leaves. All the vegetables contained various amounts of phytic acid, tannic acid and/or oxalic acid. Tannic acid was found in largest amounts ranging from 1266.00 mg/100 g in cabbage to 491.00 mg/100 g in sweetpotato. Phytic acid content ranged from 0.31 mg/100 g in sweetpotato to 3.97 mg/100 g in collard. Oxalic acid was in trace amounts in cabbage and turnip; but high concentrations were found in sweetpotato (469.67 mg/100 g) and peanut greens (407.00 mg/100 g). Levels of both tannic acid and phytic acid were significantly (p<0.05) reduced by conventional and microwave blanching methods while oxalic acid levels were not significantly (p<0.05) reduced in most of the treatments by either of the blanching methods. In general, blanching is recommended as an effective method for reducing the antinutritional factors in green vegetables, however, further investigation on the heating times for both conventional and microwave blanching methods has been suggested.     

Comparative study of the chemical composition of wild and cultivated beans (Phaseolus vulgaris)

Five wildPhaseolus vulgaris beans were compared with five cultivatedPhaseolus vulgaris beans in proximate composition, total (true) protein, amino acid composition, and toxic and antinutritional factors. The wild beans contained more protein (25.5% vs. 21.7%), ash (5.15 vs. 4.15%), crude fiber (7.08% vs. 5.04%) compared to cultivated beans while the former contained less fat (0.56 vs. 0.89%) and carbohydrates (61.64 vs. 68.05%). Sulfur amino acids were found to be limiting in both groups of bean as expected; however, the cultivated beans had a higher content of the limiting amino acids. Therefore, the cultivated beans showed a better amino acid profile than the wild beans. Toxic factors were not found in either type of bean; the determinations included saponins, alkaloids, and cyanogenic glycosides. The antinutritional factors investigated were hemagglutinins (lectins) and trypsin inhibitors. The wild beans presented a higher content of trypsin inhibitors (28 TUI per mg) and lectins (9.6) than the cultivated beans did (21 TUI per mg and 7 respectively). From the chemical point of view, domestication seems to be positive; however, the better protein nutritive quality of the cultivated beans should be further confirmed by biological assays.     

Nutritional composition and antinutritional factors of chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) undergoing different cooking methods and germination

The effects of cooking treatments (boiling, autoclaving and microwavecooking) and germination on the nutritional composition and antinutritionalfactors of chickpeas were studied. Cooking treatments and/or germinationcaused significant (p < 0.05) decreases in fat, total ash, carbohydratefractions, antinutritional factors, minerals and B-vitamins. Germination wasless effective than cooking treatments in reducing trypsin inhibitor,hemagglutinin activity, tannins and saponins; it was more effective inreducing phytic acid, stachyose and raffinose. Cooking treatments andgermination decreased the concentrations of lysine, tryptophan, totalaromatic and sulfur-containing amino acids. However, cooked andgerminated chickpeas were still higher in lysine, isoleucine and totalaromatic amino acid contents than the FAO/WHO reference. The lossesin B-vitamins and minerals in chickpeas cooked by microwaving weresmaller than in those cooked by boiling and autoclaving. Germination resultedin greater retention of all minerals and B-vitamins compared to cookingtreatments. In vitro protein digestibility, protein efficiency ratio andessential amino acid index were improved by all treatments. The chemicalscore and limiting amino acid of chickpeas subjected to the varioustreatments varied considerably, depending on the type of treatment. Basedon these results, microwave cooking appears to be the best alternative forlegume preparation in households and restaurants.     

Effects of soaking,cooking and fermentation on composition,in-vitro starch digestibility and nutritive value of common beans

A common bean variety, grown in Burundi, was either fermented, soaked and/or cooked, and then assessed for nutrient composition, in-vitro starch digestibility and protein nutritive value. A decrease in ash, most minerals, vitamins, and some essential amino acids was noted for soaked, cooked and soaked-cooked beans. Compared to untreated beans, soaking decreased soluble sugar (9.8 percent) but increased starch (7.3 percent) and soluble fiber (16.9 percent). In cooked beans, an increase in soluble sugar (1.5 percent), and a decrease in thiamine (81.7 percent), starch (24.6 percent) and soluble fiber (16.6 percent) and nitrogen (2.9 percent) contents were observed. Crude fiber (6.9 percent) and starch (10.0 percent) increased while fat (17.6 percent), fatty acids (linoleic: 10.7 percent; linolenic: 14.3 percent) and soluble sugars (25.4 percent) and nitrogen (14.4 percent) decreased in soaked-cooked beans. Fermentation increased potassium (11.6 percent), soluble fiber (18.9 percent), and some amino acids but decreased fatty acids (linoleic: 13.5 percent; linolenic: 19.9 percent), soluble sugar (75.2 percent) and vitamin (riboflavin: 41.0 percent; niacin: 24.5 percent) contents in common beans. However, the in-vitro starch digestibility was greatly improved (12.3 percent) by cooking while it decreased in soaked beans (29.2 percent). Soaking-cooking and fermentation did not have any significant effect on the digestibility of common bean starch. Finally, among the five treatments applied to common beans, only fermentation showed a significant improvement (8.3 percent) on the protein nutritive value of this legume.     

Chemical composition and nutritive value of husked and naked oats grain

11 samples of oats from the 2005 crop of the field experiment carried out in RSD Lipnik were examined. Naked grain oats were represented by a standard Polar cultivar and 5 strains (STH 6102, STH 6856, STH 7146, STH 7256, STH 1692), whereas husked grains were represented by a standard Bohun cultivar and 4 strains (STH 684, STH 688, STH 729, STH 840). The examined naked grain oats differ considerably from husked grain oats in their chemical composition. A statistically significantly higher content of protein (P ≤ 0.05), a higher level of fat (P ≤ 0.01) and a lower value of crude fibre (P ≤ 0.01) were observed in the grains of naked oats compared with the husked grains. The protein of oats is characterised by a favourable amino acid composition of high quality protein which can be confirmed by the EAAI values. The first amino acid limiting the nutritive value of protein was lysine in nearly all oat samples. The characteristic feature of the Polar cultivar was isoleucine deficit. The positive nutritive values for oat grains, in particular those for naked oat grains, make it possible to use them as food for humans and feed for monogastric animals.     

Protein quality and antinutritional factors in wild and cultivated species ofVigna spp

The nutritional quality of wild and cultivated species ofVigna has been evaluated. Wild species showed significantly higher protein content (P<0.01), antitryptic activity (P<0.005) and tannin content (P<0.025) and significantly lower protein digestibility (P<0.005). No significant differences were found with regard to protein quality, measured as chemical score corrected by the digestibility; sulphur amino acids turned out to be limiting in both groups. In addition no correlations were found between sulphur amino acids and protein levels, or between sulphur amino acid and trypsin inhibitor levels.Selected lines showed an improvement from the nutritional point of view linked to lower antitryptic factors and tannin content, which may give rise to a decreased resistance to pests. For all the properties considered, whether physical or biochemical, wild samples presented wider variations and the types considered most primitive were those that differed most from the cultivated ones, whose properties were altogether more consistent. In vitro protein digestibility turned out to be a useful parameter in evaluating wild and improved samples.IITA (International Institute of Tropical Agriculture) fellowship recipients.     

Chemical composition of indigenous wild herbs,spices, fruits,nuts and leafy vegetables used as food

Thirty wild fruits, nuts, herbs, spices and leafy vegetables were characterized and their chemical composition determined. Some of them were not only used for food, but for medicine in minor aliments by the natives. Results of the proximate analysis showed that on dry weight basis, the crude protein content ranged from 4.6 to 22.1 percent for spices and herbs, 3.2 to 43.1 percent for fruits and nuts, and 15.9 to 35.7 percent for leafy vegetables. The fat (ether extract) ranged from 7.5 to 36.0 percent for spices and herbs, 1.8 to 72.6 percent for fruits and nuts and 10.6 to 22.6 percent for leafy vegetables. Total carbohydrate content ranged from 34.6 to 71.9 percent for spices and herbs, 11.3 to 76.1 percent for fruits and nuts, and 24.6 to 51.4 percent for leafy vegetables. The wild fruits, nuts and leafy vegetables are high in ascorbic acid (Vitamin C.) Ascorbic acid content ranged from 18 mg/100 g dry sample to 113 mg/100 g sample for fruits and nuts, and 23 mg/100 g to 232 mg/100 g sample for leafy vegetables. The levels for peroxide value and free fatty acids (as percent oleic acid) of the spices are generally low indicating good storage stability of these plant materials. The flavour imparting essential oils (as percent oleoresin) content of the spices/herbs were fairly high and ranged from 0.1 to 5.2 percent.     

Chemical,nutritional and technological characteristics of buck wheat and non-prolamine buckwheat flours in comparison of wheat flour

Chemical, nutritional, and technological characteristics of buckwheat and non-prolamine buckwheat flours in comparison to wheat for celiac patients use have been studied. The results suggested the following conclusions: the 56.5% extraction value for flour obtention is considered good; the buckwheat flour presents methionine and cystine as first limiting amino acids followed by threonine as the second limiting amino acid; the buckwheat flour presents higher content of lysine amino acids than the wheat flour; the buckwheat flour is superior to the wheat flour regarding iron, copper, and magnesium minerals; the buckwheat flour does not present haemagglutinin activity and the tannin content is negligible. Rheological assays indicate that the buckwheat flour does not contain gluten.     

Proximate composition and antinutritional factors in rice bean (Vigna umbellata)

Thirteen promising strains of Rice bean (Vigna umbellata) were analysed for their proximate compositions and antinutritional factors. Protein content in these varieties ranged from 17.50 to 23.10 per cent, ash from 3.06 to 4.48 per cent, ether extract from 2.4 to 3.9 per cent and crude fibre from 1.70 to 4.25 per cent. Trypsin inhibitor activity ranged from 112.63 to 163.98 units/g and polyphenols ranged from 0.58 to 1.19 per cent. Phytohemagglutinating activity was present in all the strains, except one, RB-32. Oligosaccharides, viz., raffinose, stachyose and verbascose, ranged from 0.32 to 0.91, 0.95 to 1.98 and 1.40 to 2.58 per cent, respectively. Attempts have been made to compare the results with a standard variety each of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), moong (Vigna radiata) and mash (Vigna mungo).     

Chemical and nutritional evaluation of two germplasms of the tribal pulse,Bauhinia racemosa Lamk.

Two germplasms of the tribal pulse,Bauhinia racemosa Lamk. viz., Ayyanarkoil Forest and Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary, were analysed for proximate composition, total (true) seed proteins, seed protein fractions, amino acid composition, fatty acids, minerals and antinutritional factors. Crude proteins, crude lipids, ash and nitrogen free extractives constituted 19.84%, 9.52%, 3.31% and 60.65%, respectively in Ayyanarkoil Forest germplasm; whereas, in Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary germplasm they constituted 19.31%, 8.94%, 3.81% and 61.30%, respectively. The caloric values were found to be 407.64 K Cal (Ayyanarkoil Forest) and 402.90 K Cal (Mundanthurai Wildlife Sanctuary) germplasms. Essential amino acids like isoleucine, tyrosine, phenylalanine and lysine were found to be high in the seed proteins of both the germplasms. The fatty acids, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids, were found to be relatively higher in the seed lipids of both the germplasms. Both the germplasms seemed to be a rich source of calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, manganese and iron. Antinutritional substances like total free phenols, tannins, L-DOPA and phytohaemagglutinating activity also were investigated.     

Amino acid composition,relative nutritive value and in vitro protein digestibility of several Philippine indigenous legumes

This study demonstrates variability in amino acid composition among accessions of several Philippine indigenous legumes. Moreover, two accessions ofD. lablab were identified to have high level of methionine (>2%). Methionine was identified as the first limiting amino acid with leucine, and threonine as the second limiting amino acids for most legumes studies.The IVPDs of the legumes under study ranged from >70 to 79%. Raw mature seeds had relatively low RNVs of 11 to 68% which increased to 68 to 94% and 51 to 89% after boiling and roasting, respectively.     

Effect of heat processing on in vitro protein digestibility and some chemical properties of African breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) seeds

The effects of dry heat (roasting) and moist heat (boiling) on in vitro protein digestibility, protein fractions and other chemical properties of African breadfruit (Treculia africana Decne) seed that affect their utilization as a source of human food were investigated. Chemical analyses showed that the crude protein and fat contents of the unprocessed (raw) seeds were 20.1% and 13.7%, respectively. The level of phytic acid in the raw seed (1.19 mg/g) was lower than the levels found in some commonly consumed pulses in Nigeria. Albumin and globulin protein fractions were found to be the major seed proteins of African breadfruit seed, constituting 67.8% of the total protein of the raw seed. There were no significant (p<0.05) differences between crude protein, ash and fat contents of the raw and heat processed samples. Boiling proved more effective than roasting for improving protein digestibility and for reducing the levels of trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid and polyphenols of the samples. The complete removal of these antinutrients, however, would require a more severe heat treatment of the seed, which in turn would profoundly reduce the nutritional value and availability of proteins, as demonstrated by the low values obtained for in vitro protein digestibility, protein fractions and protein extractability.     

Chemical composition,rumen degradability and crude protein fractionation of some commercial and improved cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp) haulm varieties

Seasonal chemical composition, in sacco organic matter (OM) and crude protein (CP) degradabilities and CP fractions of haulms of three improved (ITA2, ITA6 and ITA8) and three commercial (Oloyin, Peu and Sokoto) cowpea varieties harvested in wet and dry seasons were evaluated in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Effective degradation of OM and CP was estimated at assumed outflow rates of 2 and 4% h^?1. Commercial haulms (all the other parts of the cowpea minus the grains) had greater (P < 0·001) CP than improved varieties, whereas neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre were greater (P < 0·001) in improved vs. commercial haulms. Interactions between variety group (improved vs. commercial) and season were observed for CP (P = 0·002), lignin (P = 0·003) and hemicellulose (P = 0·030) contents of the haulms. Similarly, a group × season interaction was observed for effective degradation of OM at an outflow rate of 2%. The proportion of substrate degraded in the samples harvested in the wet season was generally less (P < 0·001) than in the dry season. Effective degradability values of OM at the assumed passage rates were greater (P < 0·001) for improved vs. commercial cowpea haulms. Interactions between group and season were observed for all but one of the CP fractions. Seasonal differences in the quality of haulms showed that attention must be given to handling of haulms to minimize the amount of leaves lost during the wet season.     

Comparative nutritive value of winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L) DC) and other legumes grown in Tanzania

Chemical analyses and feeding experiments using rats were conducted to evaluate the nutritive value of winged bean and other legumes (soyabean, green gram, bambarra nuts, pigeon peas, field beans, cow peas) sources grown in Tanzania. Proximate analyses showed that the composition of winged bean was similar to soyabean, while the composition of the other legumes differed considerably. This was also the case for antinutritional constituents and minerals. As to the amino acid composition, the lysine level was high with the highest value in winged bean (7.5 g/16 g N). However, the concentration of methionine and cystine was low which limits their protein quality. Another important amino acid, threonine, was generally high, especially in winged bean (4.3 g/16 g N). With exception of field bean, true protein digestibility was above 80%, soyabean having the highest value (90.7%). The biological value was also highest in soyabean (76.1%) followed by winged bean (69.9%). Utilizable protein was high in soyabean (28.8%) and somewhat lower in winged bean (23.4%). Energy digestibility was around 80%, soyabean having the highest value of 85.8%. The study findings support the idea that winged bean is a good alternative plant protein source in Tanzania.     

Chemical composition and nutritional potential of the tribal pulse (Bauhinia malabarica Roxb)

Proximate and mineral composition, seed protein fractions, amino acid composition, fatty acid profiles and antinutritional factors were analysed for the seeds of the tribal pulse,Bauhinia malabarica. The seeds contained higher amount of crude lipid when compared with most of the domesticated pulses. The seeds were rich in minerals like Ca, Mg and Fe. Glutelins (45%) constituted the major seed protein fraction followed by globulins which accounted for about 34%. Cystine and methionine were found to be the limiting essential amino acids; whereas tyrosine and phenylalanine content were fairly high when compared with WHO requirement pattern. The unsaturated fatty acids, oleic acid and linoleic acid, were predominant in seed lipids. Presence of antinutritional substances like total free phenols, tannins, L-DOPA and haemagglutinating activity also were analysed/assayed.     

Changes in nitrogenous and other chemical constituents,protein fractions and in vitro protein digestibility of germinating fluted pumpkin ( Telfairia occidentalis Hook) seed

The effect of 7 days of germination on levels of nitrogenous and other nutrition related parameters, protein fractions and in vitro protein digestibility of fluted pumpkin (Telfairia occidentalis) seed was studied. The non-protein nitrogen gradually increased and the protein nitrogen content decreased during germination. Albumin and globulin fractions were found to be the major seed proteins of fluted pumpkin seeds, constituting about 58.6% of the total protein of the ungerminated (raw) seeds. The protein fractions, albumin and glutelin, were observed to increase by 61.5% and 57.0%, respectively, while a 54.6% decrease was noted in the prolamine fraction. The globulin fraction increased at the beginning of germination but decreased at the end. Germination significantly (p 0.05) increased the crude protein, nitrogen solubility and in vitro protein digestibility but decreased the fat, phytic acid and polyphenol contents of the seeds.     

野生花生高油基因资源的发掘与鉴定

以花生属22个近缘野生物种87份种质为材料,系统鉴定和分析野生花生种子含油量。结果表明,野生花生中存在丰富的高油资源,其含油量最低值、最高值和平均值均高于栽培种花生资源的对应值。发掘出高油种质(含油量≥58%)12份,其中Arachis appressipila是目前所发现的花生资源中含量最高的种质,含油量达62.90%。不同物种以及同一物种不同资源的含油量差异很大,如A.appressipila的10-2含油量62.90%,11-7的含油量为55.92%。A.appressipila、A.macedoi和Arachissp的平均含油量较高,分别为57.54%,57.64%和57.68%。通过SSR分析表明,在所获得的高油野生花生材料中,四倍体野生种A.monticola与栽培种花生的亲缘关系最近,其次为花生区组的二倍体野生种A.villosa。根据SSR扩增结果,绘制了高油野生花生材料的指纹图谱。