Effect of Varieties and Processing Methods on the Total and Ionizable Iron Contents of Grain Legumes

Abstract

A comparison of the commonly consumed Indian pulses with soybean was made to test the effect that genetic variations have on total and ionizable iron contents and how ionizable iron was influenced by processing methods. Mean total iron content was the highest in soybean, followed by chickpea, urd bean, mung bean and pigeon pea. Mean values for available iron were the highest in chickpea and the lowest in urd bean. Germination and fermentation resulted in significant increases (P < 0.01) in the available iron of chickpea, urd bean, and soybean. Except for mung bean, no significant changes in ionizable iron content were observed by either autoclaving or roasting these legumes. The beneficial effect of germination on iron availability in all legumes was found to be more pronounced than the fermentation process. Keywords: Legumes; pulses; ionizable iron; germination; fermentation; autoclaving; roasting