Effects of domestic processing and cooking on in vitro protein digestibility of pigeon pea

Protein digestibility (in vitro) was found to be 35.0 to 47.1 per cent in r aw unprocessed seeds of different pigeon pea cultivars. Significant (p < 0. 05) varietal differences were noticed. Low protein digestibility was attrib uted to the presence of phytates, trypsin inhibitors and polyphenols in pig eon pea. Various domestic processing and cooking treatments viz. soaking, d ehulling, germination, cooking etc. improved the in vitro digestibility of protein of all the pigeon pea cultivars to varying extents i.e. 3 to 59 per cent over the control; the highest being in soaked dehulled and pressure c ooked and the lowest being in 6 h soaked legume grains.