Effect of processing on the in vitro digestibility of proteins and carbohydrates in some Indian legumes.

Studies were conducted on chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), horse gram (Dolichos biflorus) and cowpea (Vigna sinensis), processed by 6 methods: boiling, pressure cooking, puffing, frying, germinating, and germinating + cooking. Data are given for in-vitro protein and carbohydrate digestibilities. For chickpeas, no treatment significantly increased protein digestibility; frying reduced protein digestibility. For horse gram and cowpea most treatments improved protein digestibility; only frying reduced protein digestibility. Digestibility was highest for the germination/cooking treatment. Carbohydrate digestibility was poorer for cowpea than for the other 2 legumes. Pressure cooking and germination/cooking gave the highest carbohydrate digestibility; germination alone reduced carbohydrate digestibility.