Physiochemical and nutritional attributes of raw and soaked seeds of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes

Abstract

The present investigation aims to analyze nutrient profile, antinutritional traits and physiochemical characteristics in raw (dry seeds) and water soaked seeds of eighteen chickpea genotypes comprising 16 cold stress tolerant and 2 susceptible. Raw seeds of tolerant genotypes were found to have higher total sugars and protein content and lower amount of trypsin inhibitors. Higher content of raffinose family oligosaccharides in tolerant genotypes is an additional characteristic for their tolerant behaviour and it does not interfere with the digestion as with soaking these oligosaccharides are reduced by 87%. The enhanced mineral content with soaking in tolerant chickpea genotypes might be attributed to the better physiochemical characteristics in terms of higher hydration capacity and swelling index which leads to greater permeable and softer cotyledons that might help in leaching out of mineral ligands. The higher nutritional value along with better physiochemical characteristics observed in tolerant genotypes render them useful at consumer level as well as from breeding point of view.