Amino acid profiles after sprouting, autoclaving, and lactic acid fermentation of finger millet (Eleusine coracan) and kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

Seeds of finger millet (Eleucine coracan (L.) Gaertner) and kidney beans (P haseolus vulgaris L.) were sprouted, autoclaved, and fermented during the p rocessing of a weaning (complementary) food for children. Relative changes in individual amino acids with processing were evaluated. Finger millet and kidney beans both showed a good percentage of essential to total amino aci ds, with 44.2-44.9% in finger millet and 44.2-45.1% in kidney beans, when c ompared to 33.9% for the FAO/WHO reference protein for 2-5 year old childre n. Sprouting resulted in a significant decrease in lysine in kidney beans. Autoclaving caused significant decreases in histidine, while fermentation s ignificantly decreased phenylalanine and increased tryptophan in finger mil let. The leucine-to-lysine ratio, which is an indicator of the pellagrageni c character of a protein, was significantly improved in finger millet by bo th sprouting and fermentation.