Effect of dry heat on the in vitro digestibility and trypsin inhibitor activity of chickpea flour

The effect of a dry heat treatment on trypsin inhibitors, protein quality a nd molecular weight of products obtained from enzymatic hydrolysis of chick pea flours was analysed in order to use chickpeas as food protein hydrolysa tes. Chickpea flour obtained from dehusked seeds was processed under differ ent conditions, either by heating or enzymatic treatment. Heat treatment at 140 degrees C for varying times (1-24 h) inactivated trypsin inhibitors an d facilitated enzymatic treatment but showed an unacceptable loss in the nu tritional quality of the protein for heating times longer than 6 h. Enzymat ic treatment with a commercial protease, Alcalase 0.6L, at pH 8 and 50 degr ees C, increased the protein nutritional value of the chickpea by breaking the protein chains into shorter peptide chains more suitable to human nutri tion.