CHANGES IN OIL, SUGARS AND NITROGENOUS COMPONENTS DURING GERMINATION OF SUNFLOWER SEEDS, HELIANTHUS-ANNUUS

Since germination has been found to improve the nutritional quality of grains, sunflower seeds Helianthus annuus were germinated for up to f ive days, and the cotyledons were analyzed for oil, sugar, free amino acid, non-protein nitrogen, lysine, tryptophan and methionine contents . Protein was fractionated. Soaking and germination increased the nonp rotein nitrogen, total free amino acid, lysine and tryptophan contents . Protein content and dry weight decreased. The oil content decreased significantly after 72 hours of germination. The reducing sugars incre ased gradually until day 'five' of germination. The saline soluble alb umin and globulin fractions decreased while the glutelin content incre ased during germination. No changes were noticed in the prolamin and m ethionine contents.