DOI: 10.36347/sajb.2013.v01i05.007

Pages: 183-191

Mucuna pruriens and Canavalia ensiformis are legumes promoted by smallholder farmers in Africa. The beans contain high protein content but remain a minor food crop due to the presence of antinutrients. The potential for the utilization of Mucuna and Canavalia beans as an alternative source of protein was evaluated by isolating protein and assessing the effect of technique of their protein quality and antinutrient compounds. Protein quality was determined by in vitro and in vivo rat balance methodologies. Processing technique reduced total phenolics and tannins at about 50% and slightly improved in vitro Protein digestibility (IVPD) of both beans. True digestibilities for protein isolate of beans (60.39% Mucuna, 57.57% Canavalia) were not negligible. However, rats fed diets formulated with protein isolate from Mucuna and Canavalia lost weight, and the diets resulted in poor protein quality indices, negative value of PER (-1.33 and -2.36), and low values for NPER (0.38 and 0.73). This suggests that the antinutritive and toxic factors of raw bean of Mucuna and Canavalia were not eliminated efficiently during protein isolation. Since hydrothermal techniques have proved success on reduction of antinutrients, further study is envisaged to apply hydrothermal technique of isolating protein on Mucuna and Canavalia beans.