GERMINATION AND NITROGENOUS CONSTITUENTS OF PEA SEEDS (Pisium sativum)

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe effect of germination on total nitrogen (TN), protein nitrogen (PN), total nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), free amino acid nitrogen (FAAN), and amino acid composition of three varieties of pea seeds (Dwarf Gray, Early Alaska, and Wando) was studied. Following 5 days of germination, there was a slight increase of TN, a slight decrease of PN, and a marked increase of both the total NPN and FAAN in all varieties of seeds when compared on a dry weight basis. In germinated seeds, TN ranged from 3.49–4.98, PN ranged from 2.60–3.48, total NPN from 0.893–1.502, and FAAN ranged from 0.408–1.313 g/100g dry weight. Whereas, in ungerminated seeds, TN ranged from 3.20–4.72, PN ranged from 2.93–4146, total NPN ranged from 0.263–0.337, and FAAN ranged from 0.067–0.150 g/100g dry weight. The altered amino acid patterns of ungerminated and germinated seeds suggest that there was a turnover of proteins and amino acids under the experimental conditions.