THE EFFECT OF PHYTATE AND FIBER CONTENT ON COOKING QUALITY IN FABA BEANS

Seventy-six faba bean lines were analyzed for their phytic acid content in the whole seeds and in the cotyledons. The fiber content was also determined in 17 Faba bean lines. The seed weights; % testa weight-of the seeds; and % moisture uptake (water imbibition) after overnight soaking in distilled water or increasing concentrations of EDTA solutions were measured and recorded. The relation between the above mentioned dependent variables and the cooking time for seed softening (min.) in 76 faba bean lines was studied and simple and multiple correlation coefficients were computed with a total of 70 operations. Significant correlation coefficients were found between phytic acid content in the cotyledons, % testae weight of the seeds; moisture uptake after soaking the seeds in distilled water overnight and cooking time for 50% softening (min). The faba bean lines 606/ 303; 606/ 308, 608/ 334, 609/ 350, proved to be of excellent cooking quality, since their cooking time for 50% seed softening did not exceed 10 min.