Effect of pressure and solar cooking on phytic acid and polyphenol content of cowpeas

Abstract

Both pressure cooking and solar cooking significantly reduced the phytic acid and polyphenol content of cowpea cultivars. A significantly greater reduction in the content of both these antinutrients was noticed during pressure and solar cooking of soaked cowpeas compared to unsoaked seeds. The percentage reduction increased when the soaked cowpeas were dehulled and then cooked by both pressure and solar cooking. The results of the study reveal that solar cooking was more effective than pressure cooking in reducing the concentrations of phytic acid and polyphenols in cowpeas. The cumulative effect of soaking and dehulling, followed by solar cooking, was the removal of most of the polyphenols (88‐94 per cent). Such practices should be encouraged at the home level for the preparation of cowpea seeds.

Citation

Pasrija, M. and Punia, D. (2000), "Effect of pressure and solar cooking on phytic acid and polyphenol content of cowpeas", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 30 No. 3, pp. 133-137. https://doi.org/10.1108/00346650010319732