EFFECT OF THERMAL TREATMENTS ON THE CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL VALUE OF IRRADIATED AND NONIRRADIATED COWPEA BEAN (VIGNA-UNGUICULATA L WALP) FLOUR

Chemical and nutritional characteristics of irradiated and nonirradiat ed cowpea bean at 0.2 kGy submitted to several thermal treatments were studied. The cowpea bean flours irradiated at 0.2 kGy were superior t o those non-irradiated concerning digestibility and the flours submitt ed to microwave oven were superior to those cooked under low pressure, autoclaved or even raw from the nutritional point of view. As to the presence of anti-nutritional factors, the results showed that the vari ety of cowpea bean under research presented neither trypsin inhibitor nor haemagglutinin activity, however, regarding tannin, a 0.006% conte nt was found and considered negligible.