SOME PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND ANTINUTRITIONAL FACTORS OF RAW, COOKED AND GERMINATED JACK BEAN (CANAVALIA-ENSIFORMIS)

Physicochemical properties and anti-nutritional factors of raw, cooked and germinated Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis) were studied. Jack be an seeds were relatively large, measuring 1.88 cm in length, 1.32 cm i n width and 1.09 cm in thickness. The 1000 seed weight was 1.78 kg. Th e seed coat formed about 13.3% of the whole seed, resulting in high fi bre content of the meal. The Jack bean was high in protein (23.3%) and starch (24.7%). Hydrogen cyanide and phytate levels in the raw beans were 11.2 mg/100 g and 2.78 g/100 g dry sample, respectively. Haemaggl utinin and trypsin inhibitor activities were detected in the bean. Coo king and germination had varied effects on bean constituents. Raw bean flour had a fairly good foam capacity which was reduced considerably by cooking and germination. The Brabender amylograph showed that the b ean starch had poor cooked paste properties and this may, in part, exp lain why the bean is difficult to cook. (C) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.