Importance of pulses

 pulses are the most important plant food material, for the outstanding
reason that they are the concentrated cheap sources of protein for the
vegetarian population

 Protein is one of the five basic components in an adequate diet. In

developing countries, there is an urgent need of nutritious foods to meet
the nutritional requirements of the ever-increasing populations.

 Since pulses are important sources of protein, complex carbohydrate

and dietary fiber in the diet, there has been a worldwide interest in
potential utilization of conventional pulses

 Pulses are a good source of energy, proteins, vitamins, minerals and

dietary fiber. They are relatively inexpensive compared to meat foods
and they have high carbohydrate content.
 Importance of pulses

 Pulses can be useful as high energy foods.

 However, utilization of pulse protein is below their potential, partly

due to the deficiency of some of the essential amino acids in their
proteins and also due to the presence of some antinutritional factors
associated with their protein
 Antinutritional factors associated with the pulse proteins
 Protease inhibitors,
 lectins,
 gossypol,
 phytate
 Antinutrients

 Antinutrients are natural or synthetic

compounds that interfere with the absorption
of nutrients.

 Nutrition studies focus on those antinutrients

commonly found in food sources and
beverages.
Examples OF ANF

 Protease inhibitors are substances that inhibit

the actions of trypsin, pepsin and other
proteases in the gut, preventing the digestion
and subsequent absorption of protein.

 For example, Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitor

is found in soybeans
 Lipase inhibitors interfere with enzymes, such
as human pancreatic lipase, that catalyze the
hydrolysis of some lipids, including fats.

 For example, the anti-obesity drug orlistat

causes a percentage of fat to pass through
the digestive tract undigested.
 Contd….

 Amylase inhibitors prevent the action of

enzymes that break the glycosidic bonds of
starches and other complex carbohydrates,
preventing the release of simple sugars and
absorption by the body.
 Amylase inhibitors are present in many types
of beans; commercially available amylase
inhibitors are extracted from white kidney
beans.
 Contd…

 Phytic acid has a strong binding affinity to

minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron,
copper, and zinc.

 This results in precipitation, making the

minerals unavailable for absorption in the
intestines
 Phytic acids are common in the hulls of nuts,
seeds and grains.
 Oxalic acid and oxalates are present in many
plants, particularly in members of the spinach
family.

 Oxalates bind to calcium and prevent its

absorption in the human body.
 Glucosinolates prevent the uptake of iodine,
affecting the function of the thyroid and thus
are considered goitrogens.

 They are found in broccoli, brussel sprouts,

cabbage and cauliflower.
 Excessive intake of required nutrients can
also result in them having an anti-nutrient
action.
 Excessive intake of fiber can reduce the
transit time through the intestines to such a
degree that other nutrients cannot be
absorbed.
 Because calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium
share the same transporter within the intestine,
excessive consumption of one of these minerals
can lead to saturation of the transport system and
reduced absorption of the other minerals.
 Some proteins can also be antinutrients, such as
the trypsin inhibitors and lectins found in legumes
.
 These enzyme inhibitors interfere with digestion.
 Another particularly widespread form of
antinutrients are the flavonoids, which are a
group of polyphenolic compounds that
include tannins.
 These compounds chelate metals such as
iron and zinc and reduce the absorption of
these nutrients, but they also inhibit digestive
enzymes and may also precipitate proteins.
Polling question

Bowman-Birk trypsin inhibitor is found in

soybeans. State True or False.
Antinutritional factors in cereals,
pulses and oilseed
 ANF : - Many plants have the capacity to synthesize
certain biologically and chemically active substances that
are known to exert a deleterious (harmful) effect.
 When ingested by man or animals and causes effect on
animals and human nutrition – called ANF.
 Many processes like heating cooking soaking
autoclaving fermentation are effective for elimination of
this toxic substances.

 Major classes of ANF : -

 Enzyme inhibitors : -
 Protease inhibitors
 Amylase inhibitors
Protease inbhititors : -

 The class includes trypsin and chymotrypsin

inhibitors causes growth inhibitors by interfering
with digestion, causes pancreatic hypertrophy –
leads to excessive loss of endogenous protein
secreted by pancreas and loss of sulphur
containing amino acids.
 Amylase inhibitors : -
 Inhibits the activity of α- amylase enzyme
found in human salvia and tears.
 Amylase catalyses the hydrolysis of the α-
glycocidic linkage in the intero of starch
molecule.
 Phytohemagglutinins : -
 Toxic factors interacts with glycoprotein on the
surface of blood cells and causing them to
agglutionate (sticky mass).
 Goiterogens : -

 Present in cereals and pulses causes a

marked enlargement of thyroid gland,
causes goitre formation.
 Environmental iron deficiency is response
for goitre formation.
 Generally found in legumes.
Most commonly obversed antinutritional factors of
chickpea are

1. Protease inhibitors
2. Amylase inhibitors
3. Phytolectins
4. Oligosaccharides
5. Polyphenols
.
Table 18:Antinutritional factors and toxic substances in chick
pea seed and extent of their presence.
Constituent Presence
Protease inhibitors
Trypsin (Units/mg) 10.9
Chymotrypsin (Units/mg) 7.1
Amylase inhibitors (Units/g) 8.7
Oligosaccharides (g/100g)
Raffinose 0.52
Stachyose 1.31
Stachyose + Verbascose 2.41
Polyphenols (mg/g)
Total Phenols 3.03
Tannins Traces
Phytolectins (Unit/g) 400
Cyanogens (Glycosides) Traces
Mycotoxins (ppb) 18
Polling question
 Oxalates bind to calcium and prevent its absorption in
the human body. State True or False
 PROTEASE INHIBITORS
• It inhibits the activity of proteases i. e. Trypsin &
Chymotrypsin enzymes.
• The pancreatic juice which secreted from pancrease it consist
two zymogenes trypsinogen and chymotrypsinogen.

Trypsinogen Entero kinase Trypsin

Chymotrypsinogen Chymotrypsin

• Both trypsin & chymotrypsin are endopeptidases which

hydrolyze peptide molecule to form smaller polypetides.
 Removal Process :

It can be removed by cooking/heating.

Trypsin inhibitors of chickpea were inactivated by

moist heat at 1210C FOR 30 minutes. preliminary
soaking followed by dry heat treatment result in
partial inactivation of the inhibitor trypsin activity
but excessive heating reducing the nutritive value
of legume proteins.
It inhibits the activity of amylase contained in human
saliva.
Amylase catalyse the hydrolysis of the alpha-glycosidic
bonds in the interior of the starch molecule.
Removal process:
Amylase inhibitiors of chickpea were inactivated by
boiling
 They are toxic factors that interact with glycoprotein
on the surface of red blood cells and causing them
to agglutinate.
Removal Process:
Phytolectins are highly sensitive to heat treatment.
In chickpea, almost complete reduction of
agglutionation activity was obtained with moist
heat at 1000C.
There was a marked decrease in the phytolectin

contents of horse gram germinated for 72 hrs.