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Nutritional evaluation of chickpea and germinated chickpea flours

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition volume 38, pages 127–134 (1988)Cite this article

Abstract

The ability of seed germination to increase the nutritional quality of chickpea was studied. Chickpea flours germinated for 0, 24 and 48 h were evaluated nutritionally by determination of protein efficiency ratio (PER), net protein ratio (NPR), digestibility and essential amino acid availability “in vivo”. A significant increase in ascorbic acid was observed during germination. PER and NPR values indicated that germinated chickpea flours compared favorably to casein. Protein digestibility decreased as germination time increased. Essential amino acid availability did not change after 24 h of germination, but a small decrease was observed after 48 h. The increase in some amino acids during germination may account for the observed increase in PER for the germinated flours. Seed germination enhanced significantly the nutritional quality of chickpea protein and substantially increased the ascorbic acid level.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Arizona, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Maria Luz Fernandez & James W. Berry

Authors
  1. Maria Luz Fernandez
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  2. James W. Berry
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Contribution No. 4359, Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA.

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Fernandez, M.L., Berry, J.W. Nutritional evaluation of chickpea and germinated chickpea flours. Plant Food Hum Nutr 38, 127–134 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01091717

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01091717

Key words

  • chickpea
  • germination
  • increased nutritional value