Evaluation of the Nutritional Quality of Different Soybean and Pea Varieties: Their Use in Balanced Diets for Different Pathologies

Abstract

Among the cultivated plants of great interest at the planetary level, soy and pea can be highlighted. Soy represents a major source of protein and oil, with exceptional and widely accepted qualities in most cultures and religions. It is also a very good substitute for animal protein, having significant amounts of essential amino acids. Peas, although less cultivated than soybeans, contain large amounts of protein and carbohydrates, and they are also a source of food used in many diets due to their high nutritional content. The present study focuses on the nutrient composition analysis of five soybean varieties and four pea varieties grown in Romania for their use in food in the most efficient way. Protein dosage was carried out using Bradford and Kjeldahl methods, and the amino acids were dosed using gas chromatography. It was demonstrated that the analyzed varieties are rich in nutrients with different content depending on their type. Among the soybean hybrid varieties analyzed, the beans from the early Ovidiu F type and the semi-early Anduța F stood out for their increased content of lipids (23.28%) and proteins with increased biological value, and in the case of the pea beans, those from the Evelina F (22.21%) varieties of the Afila and Spectral F autumn types presented the highest content of proteins (21.06%) and essential amino acids (16.87%). All the obtained results offer a theoretical foundation for the advanced and balanced application of different varieties of soybean and pea bean in a balanced diet.