RESUMO
The effects of some pretreatments [i.e. decortications, soaking and germination] on the nutritive value of faba beans were investigated. Moreover, the nutritive values of four faba bean products widely consumed in the Middle East [Medammis, Falafel, Nabet Soup and Bissara] were also evaluated. Protein efficiency ratio [PER], digestibility co-efficient [D] and trypsin inhibitor unit [TIU] were estimated. Data revealed pronounced improvements of the nutritive value as a result of all pretreatments under study, especially germination being the most effective. The PER values for pretreated faba beans can be arranged in ascending order as follows: whole beans [0.41], decorticated beans [0.60], soaked beans [0.75] and germinated beans [1.37]. The PER values were 2.50, 1.83, 1.60, 1.01 and 0.94 for Casein, Nabet Soup, Bissara, Medammis and Falafel, respectively. Nabet Soup exhibited the highest D value [93.08%] while Falafel had the lowest [68.71%]. in contrast, Falafel contained the highest TIU [19.47], followed by Medammis [15.31], Bissara [11.98] and Nabet Soup [3.28]