Nutritional value of some pea grown in Egypt

ABSTRACT

These studies aim to show to what extent can leguminous proteins consumed locally by low income groups help in covering the amino acid requirements of the consumer. Two legumes grown locally have been chosen. These are the Cow pea and Chick pea. Both are represented by a number of varieties which are not met with outside the region. All seeds were analysed for moisture. Protein, carbohydrate, fat, fibre, ash, calcium, phosphorus and iron. When the calcium content of the roasted chick pea was estimated it was found to be very high. This is due to the practice of soaking the pea in lime water before roasting. The nutritional significance of this feeding is obvious. With the help of column chromatography, chick peas and cow peas were found to yield the following amino acids Cystine, arginine, histidine, tysine, alanine, gtycine, threonine, valine, methionine, leucne and phenyl alanine. Out results were found to be more or less in agreement with earlier workers. One may therefore, conclude that if, enough pea are eaten alone with bread, the consumer can obtain all amino acids needed and that peas constitute a food supplement for bread