Effect of Germination on the Protein and Carbohydrate Fraction of Legumes and The Study of other Constituents of Nutritive Significance

Abstract

Summary The moral daily food of the majority of people in Pakistan, particularly the poor, consists normally of bread made from wheat meal ( occasionally maize) or boiled rice and dhal which is prepared by cooking dehisced split legumes in the form of a paste with added salt, chillies and other species. Dhal constitute the most major source of protein. Legumes, however, cannot be taken beyond to elated limits as they produce digestive disturbances, flatulence, diarrhoea etc. the present investigation was aimed at suppressing the undesirable character of the legumes using bio-techniques (sprouting and fermentation) which bring about hydrolysis of the carbohydrates and splitting of proteins into smaller fragments to make them easily digestible and wholesome. Splitting abd DE husking of legumes is a wasteful practice for two reasons. The germ is lost with the nutritive factor. The seed coat which not only provides roughage with the associated mechanical advantages, but is also beneficial in several other significant ways; is also discarded. It is claimed that it flushes out various harmful material from the interines. Germination of seed is recognized to enhance their nutritive value. Sprouted gram is well known to be rich in vitamin C and can be excellent substitute for the fresh vegetables. Sprouting results in a reorganization of the proteins which makes them susceptible to enzymatic action and hydrolysis on subsequent heat treatment (cooking). Germination also increases the availability of mineral constituent resulting from the breakdown of phytic acid. Phytic acid blocks the absorption of CA, fe,mg, Zn, and other essential trace elements specially i9mportant in the nutrition of growing children. As result of this study on four legumes (mung, mash, masur and archar) it was found that germination resulted in distinct improvement in respect of assimilability of the protein fraction and spilling of the carbohydrates into simpler sugars. The level of vitamin C rose particularly in sprouting mung and masur. It would therefore be in the general interest of legumes- fresh fried as greens, prepared as curry with or without the addition of mest. A variety of other dishes may also be prepared by grinding into paste and cooking as alow equality rice powder. The fermentation may be carried out by keeping the ground legumes and rice paste in a covered basin in cool pale at 270 C either with the aid of low aquaity natural flora or induce principally with the bacillus lactic by the addition of some quantity of easily available curd. If curd bacilli are added the product becomes noticeably carry a still broader host range trend of transmissibility and expression potential and thus, may prove to be the better shuttle vectors for genetic engineering technologies. Ore sour and the texture is more soft. A simple and convenient method has been devised for producing; Erich can be practiced urban areas has gone up considerably. Compared to most vegetables, fresh sprouted legumes would be cheaper, much more nutritious and significantly rich in proteins. The fermented rice and legume paste may be processed into variety of dishes depending on the imagination and ingenuity of the housewife.