Proximate Composition and Seed Lipid Components of “Kabuli”-Type Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) from Argentina

Mineral macronutrients, such as potassium (K), calcium (Ca), phosphorous (P) and magnesium (Mg), and micronutrients, such as ferrum (Fe), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), are required in the human diet. Chickpea is an important pulse crop with a wide range of potential nutritional benefits because of its chemical composition. A single 100 g serving of cooked chickpeas can provide 24%, 43% and 39% of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for the macronutrient P and for the micronutrients Mn and Cu, respectively.

The purpose of the current work was to provide the chemical composition of “kabuli”-type chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) developed in Argentina for nutritional purpose. In this study, seeds of 14 “kabuli”-type chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes were provided by the chickpea breeding program at the National University of Córdoba (UNC) Argentina and the National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA) of Salta, Argentina. The studied material was G112, G58, G101, G47, P44, P39, P41, P98, P102, P56, L9, L2, Chañaritos S-156 and Norteño, being G = genotype; P = population; L = Line respectively. And protein, oil and ash contents, fatty acid, tocopherol and mineral element compositions were studied.

Among the studied genotypes, protein content ranged from 18.46 to 24.46 g/100g, oil content ranged from 5.68 to 9.01 g/100g and ash from 3.55 to 4.46 g/100g. Linoleic, oleic and palmitic acids were the most abundant fatty acids. The average oleic-to-linoleic ratio was 0.62 and average iodine value was 117.82. Tocopherols, well-established natural antioxidants, were found in chickpea seeds in relatively similar amounts across all genotypes. Mineral element analysis showed that chickpea was rich in macronutrients such as K, P, Mg and Ca.

In conclusion, the nutritional composition of chickpea genotypes developed and grown in Argentina provides useful information for breeding programs, food marketing and consumers and establishes chickpea as component of a balanced human diet.

Article by Carla G. Marioli Nobile, et al, from Argentina.

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