CHEMICAL-COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIONAL POTENTIAL OF THE TRIBAL PULSE (BAUHINIA-MALABARICA ROXB)

Proximate and mineral composition, seed protein fractions. amino acid composition, fatty acid profiles and antinutritional factors were anal ysed for the seeds of the tribal pulse, Bauhinia malabarica. The seeds contained higher amount of crude lipid when compared with most of the domesticated pulses. The seeds were rich in minerals like Ca. Mg and Fe. Glutelins (45%) constituted the major seed protein fraction follow ed by globulins which accounted for about 34%. Cystine and methionine were found to be the limiting essential amino acids: whereas tyrosine and phenylalanine content were fairly high when compared with WHO requ irement pattern. The unsaturated fatty acids. oleic acid and linoleic acid, were predominant in seed lipids. Presence of antinutritional sub stances like total free phenols, tannins, L-DOPA and haemagglutinating activity also were analysed/assayed.