EFFECT OF RADIATION PROCESSING ON NUTRITIONAL QUALITY OF SOME LEGUME SEEDS
Although legumes are rich sources of bioactive compounds, their bioavailability and utilization by either humans or animals are relatively low due to the presence of high proportions of various anti-nutrients. Therefore, this study was assessed to use gamma irradiation for removal of these anti-nutritional factors as well as effect of this processing method on the nutritional value of legume seeds. The present work investigates the effect of radiation (dose levels of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 KGy) on nutritional and anti-nutritional attributes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L), lentils (Lens culinaris) and mung bean (Vigna radiata). The results revealed that radiation significantly reduced (p<0.05) the levels of anti-nutritional factors however; phenolics, antioxidants and total free amino acids were increased significantly on a dose-dependent manner relative to unirradiated control samples for all legumes. Gamma irradiation also provoked significant decreases in total sugar content, albumin, globulin and total protein while globulin contents of chickpea were less affected by radiation as compared to other legumes. These results implicated that increased antioxidant capacity and protein solubility demonstrate the benefits of irradiation on the nutritional properties of legumes seeds studied in this paper