Preliminary Assessment of the Nutritional Quality of two Types of Lentils (Lens Culinaris) by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy Technology (Nirs)

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the nutritive value of two varieties of lentils ( Lens culinaris ), namely green and red varieties. For this purpose the chemical components: crude protein, starch, ash, sugars (monosaccharides and oligosaccharides), crude fat, total fibers and dry matter of two lentils varieties (green and red) were determined by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy technology (NIRS). Results show that green lentils had higher contents in ash (minerals), crude protein and total fibers, while the red lentils had higher contents in crude fat and total carbohydrates. The metabolizable energy (MJ/kg) of the red lentils was slightly higher than green lentils. In conclusion both type of lentils (green and red) revealed good nutritional quality with slight differences.