Biochemistry and technology of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds

Chickpea is an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, B-group vitamins, and certain minerals, particularly to the populations of developing nations. India contributes over 75% of the chickpea production in the world where it is mostly consumed as dhal, whole seeds, and several types of traditional, fermented, deep fried, sweetened, and puffed products. In this review, the world production and distribution, genetic background, biochemical and nutritional quality, and developments in storage and processing technology of chickpea are discussed. Future research needs, to improve the utilization of chickpea as human food, are addressed.     

Extrusion and iron bioavailability in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The effect of extrusion cooking (14% moisture and 130°C processing temperature) and of home-cooking on chickpea iron bioavailability was studied by the hemoglobin regeneration method in anemic rats. The iron pool was calculated from hemoglobin concentration and animal weight, and iron bioavailability from the relationship between iron pool gain (Δ pool) and mg of ingested iron. Iron bioavailability relative to ferrous sulfate was calculated by the following equation: Y=63.989 e^−0.0458X [Y= % absorbed; X=ingested Fe (mg)] on the basis of the results of control groups. The results showed that there was no significant difference between groups (extruded and cooked) in terms of mean percentage of iron bioavailability relative to Fe₂SO₄. We conclude that chickpea is a good source of iron and extrusion cooking is a process comparable to home-cooking in terms of iron bioavailability.     

Protein quality of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) protein hydrolysates

Chickpea protein isolate (CPI) was used as the starting material in the production of chickpea protein hydrolysates (CPHs). To obtain a highly extensive hydrolysate with a degree of hydrolysis higher than 50%, a sequential utilisation of endoprotease (Alcalase) and exoprotease (Flavourzyme) was necessary. Molecular weight patterns of CPHs were determined by gel filtration chromatography. As a result of the enzymatic activity, differences in the chromatographic pattern of CPHs were observed. Although significant (P⩽0.05) decreases of Phe and Arg were observed after hydrolysis, adequate amounts of essential amino acids in relation to the reference pattern of FAO (FAO/WHO/ONU, 1985. Energy and requirements. Technical report series No. 724. Geneva) were found. In vitro protein digestibility of CPHs (95%) were similar to that of the starting material (CPI), and TIA was not detected in any case. A high increase of solubility in CPHs, with respect to CPI, was observed, one CPH being totally soluble over a wide pH range (2–10) when the enzymes were added sequentially. Due to their high protein quality and solubility, CPHs might be considered as potential ingredients in the food industry.     

Functional Properties of Drum-Dried Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Flours

The chemical and functional properties of three precooked flours pre-pared from citric acid- and sodium bicarbonate-treated chickpeas were compared with those of raw chickpea and soybean flours. The nitrogen solubility and foaming capacity of the precooked flours were markedly reduced by processing. The acid-treated flours showed higher values of oil absorption and viscosity than the sodium bicarbonate-treated flour, but the latter had a higher bulk density. Even at 10% concentration, the acid-treated flour slurries manifested very low viscosities (about 11 centipoises). No significant difference was detected in the water absorption and gelation capacity of the precooked flours.     

Milling and physicochemical properties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties

BACKGROUND: Physical characteristics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds such as grain size, weight and hull content are important from a milling and marketing point of view. Chemical characteristics provide the information on nutritional status of grains. Chickpea of Desi (cv. A1) and Kabuli (cv. L550) cultivars were analyzed for their physicochemical, milling and milled flour quality characteristics. RESULTS: Between dry and wet milling, higher yield of dhal was obtained from wet milling, which was found to be true in both cultivars. An extra yield of 2–4% was obtained in wet milling. Between the cultivars, Desi was found to be the higher dhal‐yielding cultivar in both dry and wet milling methods. Fat, ash and protein contents were found to be higher in Kabuli than in Desi and the values were respectively 5.3%, 3.5% and 24.9% for Kabuli and 4.3%, 2.2% and 22.6% for Desi. CONCLUSION: The chickpea cultivars Desi and Kabuli vary significantly in their physical properties such as seed color, size, 100‐seed weight and 100‐seed volume. Between the dry and wet milling, a higher yield (2–4%) of dhal was obtained from wet milling. Between the cultivars, electronic nose analysis of chickpea flour indicated the possibility of differentiating the variations associated with varietal difference and milling. The gel electrophoresis pattern of chickpea showed as many as 15 protein bands in flours from both the cultivars, either in phosphate or SDS buffer. The Rapid Visco Analyzer profile did not show a significant difference between the two cultivars. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

紫皮豇豆(Vigna unguiculata L.)花色苷的研究

首次应用高效液相色谱-二极管阵列检测器-质谱联用技术(HPLC-DAD-MS)鉴定出紫皮豇豆主要含有三种花色苷,分别为飞燕草色素、矢车菊色素、天竺葵色素的葡萄糖苷,其中矢车菊葡萄糖苷相对百分含量达到93.4%;应用pH示差法测定出其单体花色苷的含量为57.15mg/100g鲜重;应用DPPH法测定结果显示,花色苷粗提液有较强的抗氧化能力。     

Functional Properties of Protein Isolate from Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.)

ABSTRACT: Functional properties of protein isolates prepared from 3 cowpea varieties and 2 soybean varieties in each of 2 y were determined. Both cowpea protein isolate (CPI) and soy protein isolate (SPI) showed a u-shaped curve for solubility with the minimum solubility occurring at pH 4.5. The CPI had lower emulsifying activity than SPI but was similar in stability. Foaming capacity and foaming stability ranged from 58.6 to 60.2 mL and 63.7 to 64.4 min for CPI and from 31.9 to 33.0 mL and 43.4 to 45.0 min for SPI, respectively. Gels were formed at 70 °C for 40 min and 30 min for CPI (12%) and SPI (10%), respectively. The CPI needs modification to enhance functional properties for potential application in food products.     

Anthocyanins in cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ssp. unguiculata]

The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the anthocyanins in the black seed coated cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp. ssp. unguiculata] using reverse phase C-18 open column chromatography and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with diode array detection and electro spray ionization/mass spectrometry (DAD-ESI/MS) analysis, respectively. Anthocyanins were extracted from the coat of black cowpea with 1% trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in methanol, isolated by RP-C-18 column chromatography, and their structures elucidated by 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The isolated anthocyanins were characterized as delphinidin-3-O-glucoside (2) and cyanidin-3-O-glucoside (4). Furthermore, 5 minor anthocyanins were detected and identified as delphinidin-3-O-galactoside (1), cyanidin-3-O-galactoside (3), petunidin-3-O-glucoside (5), peonidin-3-O-glucoside (7), and malvidin-3-O-glucoside (8) based on the fragmentation patterns of HPLC-DADESI/MS analysis.     

Preparation and Characterization of Protein Isolate from Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata L. Walp.)

ABSTRACT: Protein isolate (PI) was prepared from 3 cowpea varieties and 2 soybean varieties in each of 2 y. The protein contents of cowpea PI (CPI) (91.4% to 91.8%) and soy PI (SPI) (93.0% to 93.5%) were significantly different ( P < 0.05). Electrophoretogram showed that CPI was concentrated at 60 and 40 kDa, whereas SPI showed bands at 95, 65, 60, 40, and 35 kDa. The CPI had higher lysine (49.3 to 51.8 mg/g) than SPI (41.9 to 43.4 mg/g). The CPI and SPI had surface hydrophobicities ranging from 387.8 to 572.9 and 640.6 to 643.1, respectively. Denaturation temperature (85.2 to 88.4 °C) and enthalpy (8.42 to 10.33 J/g) of CPI were similar to the 7S fraction of SPI (82.6 °C and 96.0 to 96.3 J/g). These characteristics of CPI might be useful to explain its functionalities for application in food systems.     

Antioxidant and apoptotic potential of protein isolates derived from Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp

Projected mortalities from cancer are expected to continue escalating, with conventional chemotherapeutic regimens having extensive side effects, hence the need for therapeutics capable of terminating cancer cells selectively, through apoptosis. Therapeutic protein isolates bind specifically to target proteins inducing cell death in vitro and in vivo in various cancer cells. Therefore, this study aimed at observing the antioxidant and anticancer potential of protein isolates from five cowpea cultivars (Glenda, Embu buff, Makhatini, Veg Cowpea 2 and Veg Cowpea 3). Cytotoxicity was conducted on cancerous and non-cancerous cell lines. Apoptosis was quantified using flow cytometry, and caspase-3/7 activity was determined. Cytotoxicity assays revealed that Embu buff was the pre-eminent inhibitor of cancerous cells, while also acting as a protecting mediator in a stressed non-cancerous cell line by causing a reversal in apoptotic activity. Therefore, cowpea isolates show high potential as candidates for the therapeutic intrusion of cancer.     

Isolation and Characterization of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Seed Protein Fractions

Proteins of ground chickpea seeds were extracted with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution and precipitated with addition of acid (isoelectric precipitate (C-IP)) and by cryoprecipitation (cryoprecipitate (C-CP)). The protein isolates were characterized by Native PAGE, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) and electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (ESI/MS). Both the isoelectric precipitate and cryoprecipitate contained the globulin protein 11S legumins and 7S vicilins as the major protein fractions and 2S albumin proteins as a minor protein fraction. The major subunits of RP-HPLC protein fractions from both cryoprecipitate and isoelectric precipitate were found to contain subunits of both legumins and vicilins. SDS-PAGE identified legumin α-subunits with MW 40.6 and 39.5 kDa and legumin β- subunits with MW 23.5 and 22.5 kDa, and vicilin subunits with MW 70.2, 50.7, 35.0, 33.6, 18.9 and 15.5 kDa. ESI-MS molecular weights 35,366, 35,268 and 14,648 Da are likely vicilin subunits while the 24,894 Da is a legumin β-subunit.     

Genotype and growing environment influence chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seed composition

BACKGROUND: As a first step towards genetic improvement of seed quality in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), seven desi and nine kabuli varieties were grown at multiple sites to assess the affect of environment on seed yield, weight and selected seed constituents. The sites were chosen to represent a range of environments in chickpea production areas of the Canadian prairies. RESULTS: Genotype × environment interaction effects on starch, amylose and protein (desi only) concentrations and seed yield were significant, suggesting that the varieties did not perform consistently relative to each other in the different environments. Starch concentration was negatively correlated (r_kabuli = ?0.25, P < 0.05; r_desi = ?0.16, P < 0.05) with protein concentration in both chickpea market classes. However, repeatability estimates of starch, amylose and protein concentrations were low and inconsistent across chickpea market classes, possibly owing to complex biosynthetic pathways for these constituents. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that testing for seed constituent traits over a range of environments will be required to improve seed quality in individual chickpea varieties. The best selection strategies for seed constituent improvement in chickpea will be influenced by genotype and genotype × environment interaction for these traits. The negative relationship between seed constituents and yield indicates that selection for chickpea cultivars with desired seed composition may require compromise and indirect selection. Copyright © 2009 Crown in the right of Canada. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hypocholesterolaemic and antioxidant activities of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) protein hydrolysates

BACKGROUND: Some dietary proteins possess biological properties which make them potential ingredients of functional or health‐promoting foods. Many of these properties are attributed to bioactive peptides that can be released by controlled hydrolysis using exogenous proteases. The aim of this work was to test the improvement of hypocholesterolaemic and antioxidant activities of chickpea protein isolate by means of hydrolysis with alcalase and flavourzyme. RESULTS: All hydrolysates tested exhibited better hypocholesterolaemic activity when compared with chickpea protein isolate. The highest cholesterol micellar solubility inhibition (50%) was found after 60 min of treatment with alcalase followed by 30 min of hydrolysis with flavourzyme. To test antioxidant activity of chickpea proteins three methods were used: β‐carotene bleaching method, reducing power and 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical‐scavenging effect since antioxidant activity of protein hydrolysates may not be attributed to a single mechanism. Chickpea hydrolysates showed better antioxidant activity in all assays, especially reducing power and DPPH scavenging effect than chickpea protein isolate. CONCLUSION: The results of this study showed the good potential of chickpea protein hydrolysates as bioactive ingredients. The highest bioactive properties could be obtained by selecting the type of proteases and the hydrolysis time. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry     

Intrinsic variability of mineral composition of chickpea (Cicer arietinum,L.)

The influence of genetic biotype on the mineral composition of chickpea was studied. Experimental design included 37 cultivars of both Desi and Kabuli biotypes cultivated under the same climatic and agronomic conditions in order to exclude the variability of the results due to environment and genotype × environment interaction effects. The biotype, as source of variance in mineral composition, was a significant factor in explaining differences between Ca, Mg and K contents. Cu, Fe, Mn, Na and Zn contents did not show differences between biotypes. According to data previously published, differences may be explained by differences in the coat thickness and composition between biotypes. Two homogeneous subgroups of chickpea cultivars were identified, one having relatively high calcium contents and the other having relatively high iron contents.     

Polar lipids of defatted chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) flour and protein isolates

Polar lipid composition of defatted chickpea flour and protein isolates was studied. The main compounds were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine. Other compounds, in lower amounts, were sterol glucosides, esterified sterol glucosides and digalactosyldiglycerides. Palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid were the main fatty acids in polar lipids. A reduction in the content of phosphatidylinositol and sterol glucosides in the protein isolates with respect to the defatted flour was observed, indicating that these compounds are more sensitive to the chemical treatment of the protein isolates. However, unsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated sterols content decreased in the protein isolates probably undergoing oxidative degradation.     

Effect of cooking on the composition of beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.)

The effect of cooking on levels of nutrients and anti-nutritional factors in beans and chickpeas was investigated. Significant (p < 0.05) variation existed among the beans and chickpeas with respect to their crude protein, starch, soluble dietary fiber (SDF), insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), total dietary fiber (TDF), resistant starch (RS), trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA), mineral, phytic acid, tannin, sucrose and oligosaccharide (raffinose, stachyose and verbascose) contents. Cooking beans and chickpeas in water significantly increased protein, starch, SDF, IDF, TDF, Mn and P contents (on a dry weight basis), whereas reduced ash, K, Mg, TIA, tannin, sucrose and oligosaccharide contents were observed. Colored beans (black, cranberry, dark red kidney, pinto and small red bean) contained tannins, whereas little tannin in white-colored beans (great northern and white pea bean) and chickpeas (Desi and Kabuli type) was detected.     

In vitro fermentability and antioxidant capacity of the indigestible fraction of cooked black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), lentils (Lens culinaris L.) and chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.)

BACKGROUND: Pulses represent an important source of protein, as well as digestible and indigestible carbohydrates. Little information is available on the indigestible carbohydrates and antioxidant capacity of legume seeds. The cooked seeds of three pulses (black bean, chickpea and lentil) were evaluated for their indigestible fraction (IF), polyphenols content, antioxidant capacity and in vitro fermentability, including short‐chain fatty acid production. RESULTS: The insoluble indigestible fraction (IIF) was higher than the soluble counterpart (soluble indigestible fraction, SIF). The SIF value was highest in black beans, while no difference was observed between chickpeas and lentils. Black beans and lentils had higher polyphenols content than chickpeas. The IF of black beans exhibited the lowest and chickpeas the highest associated polyphenols content. Condensed tannins were retained to some extent in the IF that exhibited significant antioxidant capacity. The total IF of the three pulses produced short chain fatty acids (SCFA) after 24 h of in vitro fermentation by human colonic microflora. IF from black bean and lentil were best substrates for the fermentative production of butyric acid. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that the IF of pulses might be an important source of bioactive compounds. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry     

Genetics of bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus Fab.) resistance in cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.)

Bruchid resistance has been measured using a variety of techniques. Mean development period (MDP) and percentage adult emergence (PAE) are two of the more important traits measuring bruchid (Callosobruchus maculatus Fab.) resistance in cowpea. The objective of the study was to evaluate the genetic relationship between MDP and PAE in C. maculatus resistant cowpea. Seventy-two F₂ population plants were developed from the cross between C. maculatus resistant TVu-11953 (with delayed MDP and low PAE) and C. maculatus susceptible Ife Brown (with early MDP and high PAE) which were evaluated for resistance to cowpea C. maculatus. MDP at 45 days after infestation (DAI) and PAE at 60 DAI were taken as analysed measures for resistance to C. maculatus infestation. Data generated were subjected to chi-square analysis. Varied resistant response to C. maculatus infestation was observed among the F₂ generation plants but their responses showed inclination to the susceptible parent. A 15:1 ratio for susceptible to resistant genotypes was observed with MDP among the F₂ genotypes evaluated which is an indication of the presence of two recessive genes that control of MDP. The segregation of PAE also showed a 15:1 ratio goodness of fit (P > 0.05) for susceptible to resistant genotypes. Test of independence between MDP and PAE was not significant (χ² = 2.19, P = 0.19). This study revealed that the recessive genes controlling these two traits (MDP and PAE) were independently assorted and showed no linkage. This was also evident in the observed F₂ genotypes with C. maculatus resistance expressing either delayed MDP or low PAE and not both in the study.     

Empirical and diffusion models to describe water transport into chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

To describe water transport in a porous media, a mathematical model is usually used. Among the models available in the literature, empirical and diffusive ones can be cited. In this paper, Page and diffusion models are used to describe drying and soaking of chickpea. In addition, new empirical equation is proposed to describe the mentioned processes. According to the results, the two empirical models well describe drying and soaking, but the proposed one gives the best statistical indicators. The use of the diffusion model to describe the drying process makes it possible to determine the effective diffusivities (7.13 × 10^?11, 10.39 × 10^?11 and 13.78 × 10^?11 m² s^?1 for the drying air at 40, 50 and 60 °C, respectively) and also the activation energy associated with the process (27.9 kJ mol^?1).