Composition and properties of starches from Virginia‐grown kabuli chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars

Composition and properties of seeds and starches from five Virginia‐grown kabuli chickpea cultivars were investigated. The seeds had the average weight of 4.48 g per 10 g and volume of 641.2 mm³, and were rich in carbohydrate with starch as a principal constituent (59.2–70.9%). Resistant starch accounted for 7.7–10.4% of the total starch content. The composition and properties of the starches among the five cultivars were significantly different (P ≤ 0.05). All starches had a C‐type crystalline structure. The degree of crystallinity ranged from 21.1% to 27.4%, gelatinisation temperature from 7.97 to 11.2 °C and gelatinisation enthalpies from 2.18 to 3.76 J g^?1, and water absorption capacities from 90.7% to 117.5%. Different shapes and granule sizes were observed. Molecular weight of amylopectin was in the range of 6.35 × 10⁸–11.6 × 10⁸ Da. Cultivar ‘HB‐14’ was superior to the other cultivars, when combining larger seed size, higher resistant starch level and better properties.     

Effects of processing and cooking on ascorbic acid content of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) varieties

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) is an important source of protein in several developing countries. Two commonly grown chickpea cultivars, HPG‐17 and C‐235, were evaluated for their physicochemical characteristics such as 100‐seed weight and density. Both chickpea varieties were subjected to various processing treatments and then analysed for their ascorbic acid content. The ascorbic acid content was generally found to be higher in the C‐235 variety, but it was higher in the HPG‐17 variety after germination. Significant results were obtained for both varieties after various treatments such as pressure cooking, germination, parching and solar cooking. It was found that the ascorbic acid content in both varieties decreased after all treatments except germination. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry     

Characterisation and functional properties of proteins of some Indian chickpea (Cicer arietinum) cultivars

BACKGROUND: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) proteins have received attention during recent years owing to their higher biological values and better functional ingredients than oilseed proteins. In this study the composition, fractionation, electrophoretic behaviour and functional properties of five chickpea protein concentrates were determined. RESULTS: The chickpea proteins contained 15.9–54.8 g kg^?1 albumin, 48.9–154.1 g kg^?1 globulin, 39.2–76.5 g kg^?1 glutelin and traces of prolamin. Electrophoresis of the various fractions revealed that albumin and globulin were made up of sub‐units of different molecular weights ranging from 7 to 96 kDa. Water and oil absorption of the protein concentrates varied from 1.15 to 2.75 g g^?1 and from 2.60 to 5.65 g g^?1 respectively. Foaming capacity and foam stability of the protein concentrates were good and improved with the addition of salt (10 g L^?1 NaCl) or sugar (100 g L^?1 sucrose) at both isoelectric and neutral pH. Emulsifying capacity and emulsion stability of the protein concentrates were good and excellent respectively. CONCLUSION: Protein concentrates prepared from chickpeas have potential use in food formulations owing to their good emulsifying/foaming and water/oil‐binding capacities. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry     

Study of selected quality and agronomic characteristics and their interrelationship in Kabuli‐type chickpea genotypes (Cicer arietinum L.)

Impact of genotype on quality, agronomic characteristics and their interrelationship in Kabuli‐type chickpea was investigated to provide significant feedback to breeder for selection/evolution of the most suitable varieties. Seven genotypes were studied for seventeen physical, chemical and agronomic characteristics. The effect of Kabuli‐type chickpea genotype on the physicochemical parameters, cooking time and agronomic characteristics were significant. Maximum seed size and volume were recorded for CC98/99 (0.32 g and 0.26 mL seed^?1, respectively), density and swelling index for the genotype FLIP97‐179C (having minimum seed size and volume), while the rest of the genotypes were statistically the same. Weight, volume after hydration, hydration capacity and swelling capacity followed the same pattern. Maximum moisture, protein and mineral concentration were noted in CC98/99. Seed protein concentration for the remaining genotypes was statistically non‐significant from one another. Longer period was taken by CM 2000 for flowering and maturity (130 and 181 days, respectively). Minimum time to flowering and maturity was taken by CC98/99. Genotype CC 98/99 outyielded all other genotypes (2107 kg ha^?1). Seed size and seed volume were strongly and positively correlated with protein content, weight after hydration, volume after hydration, hydration and swelling capacities (r = 0.83–1.0). Strong correlation was also noted among different agronomic characters.     

Variation among physical,chemical and technological properties in three Sicilian cultivars of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Three Sicilian chickpea cultivars (‘Calia’, ‘Etna’ and ‘Principe’) were evaluated for physical, chemical and technological properties. Whereas no substantial differences were ascertained on seeds chemical composition, the cultivars greatly differed in terms of seed size, specific surface area (SSA) and seed coat incidence. These last two properties affected the technological properties of the seeds. In particular, a high SSA (‘Calia’) contributed to a faster softening, whilst a great coat thickness (‘Etna’) delayed both hydration and softening rate. The time required to obtain an acceptable firmness (cooking time) was greatly reduced by presoaking the seeds in salt solution (0.5% NaCl or NHCO₃). ‘Calia’ required the lowest cooking time when soaked in distilled water or in 0.5% NaCl. Presoaking seed in NaHCO₃ allowed halving the cooking time in all cultivars.     

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     

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.     

Comparison of sprout quality characteristics of desi and kabuli type chickpea cultivars (Cicer arietinum L.)

Effect of germination time on comparative sprout quality characteristics (proximate composition, ascorbic acid, phytic acid, invitro protein digestibility, protein solubility and sensory properties) was investigated. Sprouting significantly increased (P<0.01) the moisture, crude protein, crude fat and ascorbic acid contents and decreased nitrogen free extract (NFE). Phytic acid was reduced (P<0.01) with sprouting, but more pronouncedly so in the case of Kabuli type (73% reduction) than in desi type (32% reduction). In-vitro protein digestibility (IVDP) and protein solubility improved significantly (P<0.01) with increase in sprouting time. The overall sensory scores increased with the first (24 h) sprouting interval and then decreased. However, the acceptability scores for both chickpea types remained within the acceptable range (>5.0). Although, organoleptically the desi type chickpea sprouts were preferred over Kabuli type, the nutritional improvement due to sprouting was more pronounced in Kabuli chickpeas than their desi counterparts. Due to overall superior sprout quality, the kabuli type was more suitable for sprouting purposes.     

Polyphenols of chickpea and blackgram as affected by domestic processing and cooking methods

The effects of soaking, cooking, autoclaving and sprouting on the polyphenol contents of eight cultivars of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and four of blackgram (Vigna mungo) were studied. All the treatments reduced the polyphenols of the legume seeds, but to a varying extent. Sprouting and autoclaving had the most pronounced effect; ordinary cooking and soaking were relatively less effective.     

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     

Physicochemical, thermal and functional characterisation of protein isolates from Kabuli and Desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): a comparative study with soy (Glycine max) and pea (Pisum sativum L.)

BACKGROUND: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds are a good source of protein that has potential applications in new product formulation and fortification. The main objectives of this study were to analyse the physicochemical, thermal and functional properties of chickpea protein isolates (CPIs) and compare them with those of soy (SPI) and pea (PPI) protein isolates. RESULTS: Extracted CPIs had mean protein contents of 728–853 g kg^?1 (dry weight basis). Analysis of their deconvoluted Fourier transform infrared spectra gave secondary structure estimates of 25.6–32.7% α‐helices, 32.5–40.4% β‐sheets, 13.8–18.9% turns and 16.3–19.2% disordered structures. CPIs from CDC Xena, among Kabuli varieties, and Myles, among Desi varieties, as well as SPI had the highest water‐holding and oil absorption capacities. The emulsifying properties of Kabuli CPIs were superior to those of PPI and Desi CPIs and as good as those of SPI. The heat‐induced gelation properties of CPIs showed a minimum protein concentration required to form a gel structure ranging from 100 to 140 g L^?1. Denaturation temperatures and enthalpies of CPIs ranged from 89.0 to 92.0 °C and from 2.4 to 4.0 J g^?1 respectively. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that most physicochemical, thermal and functional properties of CPIs compare favourably with those of SPI and are better than those of PPI. Hence CPI may be suitable as a high‐quality substitute for SPI in food applications. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry     

Technological properties of chickpea (Cicer arietinum): Production of snacks and health benefits related to type-2 diabetes

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) is one of the most consumed pulses worldwide (over 2.3 million tons enter the world market annually). Some chickpea components have shown, in preclinical and clinical studies, several health benefits, including antioxidant capacity, and antifungal, antibacterial, analgesic, anticancer, antiinflammatory, and hypocholesterolemic properties, as well as angiotensin I-converting enzyme inhibition. In the United States, chickpea is consumed mostly in the form of hummus. However, the development of new products with value-added bioactivity is creating new opportunities for research and food applications. Information about bioactive compounds and functional properties of chickpea ingredients in the development of new products is needed. The objective of this review was to summarize available scientific information, from the last 15 years, on chickpea production, consumption trends, applications in the food industry in the elaboration of plant-based snacks, and on its bioactive compounds related to type 2 diabetes (T2D). Areas of opportunity for future research and new applications of specific bioactive compounds as novel food ingredients are highlighted. Research is key to overcome the main processing obstacles and sensory challenges for the application of chickpea as ingredient in snack preparations. The use of chickpea bioactive compounds as ingredient in food products is also a promising area for accessibility of their health benefits, such as the management of T2D.     

Proximate composition and antinutritive substances in chickpea (cicer arietinum L) as affected by the biotype factor

A study was made of both Desi (16 cultivars) and Kabuli (21 cultivars) chickpea biotypes grown under the same environmental conditions in order to evaluate the influence of the biotype factor as source of variance of the proximate composition and antinutritive substances content. Differences were found between the two biotypes for fat, total dietary fibre (TDF), insoluble dietary fibre (IDF), phytic acid and tannin content. Desi biotypes revealed lower fat and phytic acid contents, whereas Kabuli biotypes showed lower TDF, IDF and tannin content. Differences in coat thickness, as reported in the literature, are confirmed as a source of differences between the two biotypes in the fat, TDF, IDF, phytic acid and tannin content. © 1998 Society of Chemical Industry.     

Protein isolates from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): chemical composition,functional properties and protein characterization

Two types of protein isolates were prepared from ground chickpea seeds by alkaline extraction, with (Isolate-B) and without (Isolate-A) sodium sulphite, and acid precipitation of the proteins at the isoelectric point (pI 4.3). The percentage of protein recovered from chickpea flour in the preparation of Isolates-A and B were 65.9 and 62.1%, respectively. Chemical composition, main functional properties and protein composition of chickpea flour and protein isolates were determined. Isolates-A and B contained 78 and 88.1% of protein, respectively, and had a balanced content of essential amino acids, with respect to the FAO pattern. The in vitro protein digestibility ranged between 95.6 and 96.1%. Isolate-A showed a partial dissociation of the 11S protein because of the high pH used for the protein extraction, and this probably explains the differences observed in the functional characteristics of both isolates.     

Impact of pre-treatment (soaking or germination) on nutrient and anti-nutrient contents,cooking time and acceptability of cooked red dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) grown in Ethiopia

Pulses are processed in diverse ways prior to consumption. Soaking and germination are among the most common traditional, household-level food processing strategies. This study was carried out to determine the effects of soaking, germination, cooking and their combinations on the contents of selected nutrients and anti-nutrients of red dry bean and chickpea. In addition, the effects of pre-treatment on cooking time and the acceptability of dishes prepared from red dry bean and chickpea were determined. The nutrient compositions (zinc, iron and calcium) of most soaked-cooked and germinated-cooked red dry bean and chickpea samples were not significantly different than those of respective controls. However, soaking and germination pre-treatments significantly lowered the phytate and tannin contents of the red dry bean and chickpea samples, with a few exceptions, and overall, polyphenol contents were lower after soaking-cooking than after germination-cooking. Most scores for sensory attributes of bean-based and chickpea-based dishes prepared from soaked or germinated samples were not significantly different than those of the controls. For most red dry bean and chickpea samples, longer germination times yielded superior results in terms of reductions in cooking time, tannin content, and phytate:zinc and phytate:iron molar ratio.     

Phytic acid content of chickpea (Cicer arietinum) and black gram (Vigna mungo): varietal differences and effect of domestic processing and cooking methods

Phytic acid content of various cultivars showed a narrow variation: 7.48-8.00 g kg^?1 and 6.47-6.68 g kg^?1 for chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) and black gram (Vigna mungo L), respectively. Phytic acid was lowered significantly by the common methods of domestic processing and cooking including soaking, cooking, autoclaving and sprouting of the legume grains. Sprouting had the most marked phytic acid lowering effect followed by autoclaving and soaking. Cooking of soaked seeds lowered phytic acid by 20-26% in chickpea and 35-40% in black gram grains whereas the loss was 7-11% and 6-9% in these pulses, respectively, when unsoaked seeds were cooked.     

Role of steaming and toasting on the odor, protein characteristics of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) flour, and product quality

Proteins play an important role in imparting functional attributes like texture and shape, which determine the sensory quality of the foods. Boondi, a deep fried product from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) flour dispersion, is a popular snack food in India. Chickpea dhal (splits) or flour was subjected to various processing conditions like steaming and toasting, to determine their effect on the chickpea flour protein characteristics and on the product quality. Dhal and flour subjected to different heat treatments showed differences in their odor profiles. The SDS-PAGE of sodium phosphate buffer extracts of steamed dhal or flour showed that the high molecular weight (HMW) proteins of 66 to 100 kDa that were present in the untreated dhal were found to be absent in steamed dhal extracts. However, SDS buffer extracts on SDS-PAGE of these steamed samples did not show any difference between untreated and thermally treated dhal samples. Phosphate buffer extracts of the thermally treated flours were subjected to gel filtration chromatography and the results indicated that the HMW protein fraction content decreased significantly in the treated dhal or flour samples compared to control. Boondi prepared from the thermally treated dhal samples resulted in the loss of spherical shape of boondi. Thus, the results indicate that thermal treatment of chickpea dhal and flour influence changes in protein characteristics, the sensory profile and quality of boondi.     

Subunit,amino acid composition and in vitro digestibility of protein isolates from Chinese kabuli and desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cultivars

The subunit, amino acid composition and in vitro digestibility of the two protein isolates (GCPI and ZCPI) from one kabuli and one desi chickpea cultivars, grown extensively in Xinjiang Autonomous Region of China, were investigated and compared with those of soy protein isolate (SPI). SDS–PAGE showed that GCPI and ZCPI had almost the same band components under the reduced and unreduced conditions, with only minor difference in relative quantity for some bands, but different from that of SPI. The sulphur-containing amino acids were the first limiting amino acids for all three protein isolates of GCPI (2.11 g/100 g), ZCPI (2.20 g/100 g) and SPI (1.99 g/100 g). Amino acid score of the three protein isolates could reach the FAO/WHO requirement (1990) for the essential amino acids for preschool children. The order of in vitro digestibility was GCPI (87.47%) > ZCPI (80.82%) > SPI (71.04%). Our results indicated that, compared with soybean protein isolate, Chinese kabuli and desi chickpea protein isolates had higher digestibility value, and chickpea protein, especially for kabuli protein, could be utilized as a good source of protein for human nutrition.