| COMPOSITION :
Green gram, red gram, bengal gram, horse gram, cluster bean, field bean, cow pea are some of the common types of pulses.In general, their protein content is high and is commonly more than twice that of cereal grains, usually constituting about 20 per cent of the dry weight of seeds. The protein content of some legumes like soyabean is as high as 40 per cent.
NUTRITIVE VALUE OF PULSES
| |
Energy
Kcals |
Moisture
g |
Protein
g |
Fat
g |
Mineral
g |
Carbohydrates g |
Fibre
g |
Calcium
mg |
Phosphorus
mg |
Iron
mg |
| Bengal gram, whole |
360 |
10 |
17 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
202 |
312 |
5 |
| Bengal gram, dhal |
372 |
10 |
21 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
56 |
331 |
5 |
| Bengal gram, roasted |
369 |
11 |
22 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
58 |
340 |
9 |
| Black gram, dhal |
347 |
11 |
24 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
154 |
385 |
4 |
| Cow pea |
323 |
13 |
24 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
77 |
414 |
9 |
| Field bean, dry |
347 |
10 |
25 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
60 |
433 |
3 |
| Green gram, whole |
334 |
10 |
24 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
124 |
326 |
4 |
| Green gram dhal |
348 |
10 |
24 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
75 |
405 |
4 |
| Horse gram, whole |
321 |
12 |
22 |
0 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
287 |
311 |
7 |
| Kherasi dhal |
345 |
10 |
28 |
1 |
2 |
57 |
2 |
90 |
317 |
6 |
| Lentil |
343 |
12 |
25 |
1 |
2 |
59 |
1 |
69 |
293 |
7 |
| Moth beans |
330 |
11 |
24 |
1 |
3 |
56 |
4 |
202 |
230 |
9 |
| Peas green |
93 |
73 |
7 |
0 |
1 |
16 |
4 |
20 |
139 |
1 |
| Peas dry |
315 |
16 |
20 |
1 |
2 |
56 |
4 |
75 |
298 |
7 |
| Peas roasted |
340 |
10 |
23 |
1 |
2 |
59 |
4 |
81 |
345 |
6 |
| Rajmah |
346 |
12 |
23 |
1 |
3 |
61 |
5 |
260 |
410 |
5 |
| Redgram, dhal |
335 |
13 |
22 |
2 |
3 |
58 |
1 |
73 |
304 |
3 |
| Redgram tender |
116 |
65 |
10 |
1 |
1 |
17 |
6 |
57 |
164 |
1 |
| Soyabean |
432 |
8 |
43 |
19 |
4 |
21 |
4 |
240 |
690 |
10 |
Pulse seeds are also sources of other nutritionally important materials, such as vitamins and minerals.
Carbohydrates: Food pulses contain about 55-60 per cent of total carbohydrates including starch, soluble sugars, fibre and unavailable carbohydrates.
Minerals: Pulses are importantly sources of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and phosphorus.
Vitamins: Pulses contain small amounts of carotene, the provitamin A.
TOXIC CONSTITUENTS OF PULSES : The seeds of pulses include both edible and inedible types. Even amongst the edible legumes toxic principles occur and their elimination is important in order to exploit them for edible purposes. Two thermoliable factors are implicated in toxic effects. Inhibitors of the enzymes trypsin, chymotrypsin and amylase haemagglutinins, which impede the absorption of the products of digestion in the gut. In addition, legumes also contain a goitrogen, a toxic saponin, cyanogenic glycosides and alkaloids.
Elimination of Toxic Factors : It has already been indicated that soaking, heating and fermentation can reduce or eliminate most of the toxic factors of the pulses. Correct application of heat in cooking pulses can eliminate most toxic factors without impairment of nutritional value. Cooking also contributes towards pulse digestibility. Heat causes the denaturation of the proteins responsible for trypsin inhibition, haemagglutination and the enzyme responsible for the hydrolysis of cyanogenic glycosides. The mode of application of heat is important. Autoclaving and soaking followed by heating are effective. Another way of eliminating toxic factors is by fermentation, which yields products more digestible and of higher nutritive value than the raw pulses. |
