Biochemical Evaluation of Some Promising Varieties/Genotypes of Rice Bean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb.; Ohwi and Ohashi)]

The dried seeds of twelve varieties/genotypes of rice bean [Vigna umbellata (Thunb; Ohwi and Ohashi)] grown at research farm of NBPGR, Phagli, Shimla during 2008 were analysed for some biochemical constituents of nutritional significance. 100-seed weight ranged from 5.5 to 8.3 g, whereas the moisture content varied from 9.5 to 10.9. Significant variations in quality attributes viz., crude protein, ether extract, crude fibre, ash, carbohydrate, methionine, tryptophan, in vitro protein digestibility, tannins, cooking time, calcium, iron, zinc and phosphorus were observed to range from 17.9 to 19.4, 0.48 to 1.15, 4.6 to 6.7, 3.9 to 5.7, 58.0 to 61.2per cent, 0.98 to 1.50, 0.84 to 1.36 g per 100 g protein, 83.3 to 88.5 per cent, 490 to 860 mg/100 g, 44 to 56 minutes, 256 to 385, 3.6 to 7.4, 2.4 to 4.2 and 273.3 to 517.9 mg per 100 g, respectively. The study indicated that varieties/genotypes viz., BC-1 in seed weight; PRR-2007-1, BC-1 and RBL-6 in moisture (exhibiting lowest value); PRR-2007-1 in crude protein; PRR-2007-1 in oil; RL-3 in crude fibre; RBL-1 in ash; LRB-160 in carbohydrates; LRB-470 in methionine; PRR-1 in tryptophan; RBL-1 for in vitro protein digestibility; BC-1 in tannins (with its lowest value), RBL-6 in cooking quality; LRB-160 in calcium; BC-1 in iron; PRR-2007-2 in zinc; BC-1 in phosphorus emerged promising for individual quality trait. Besides, based on varietal rating taking into consideration performance of varieties/genotypes with regard to desirable quality attributes viz., protein, fibre, carbohydrates, methionine, tryptophan, in vitro protein digestibility, cooking quality, calcium (in descending order) and anti-nutritional factor-tannins (in ascending order) taken together varieties RBL-6, LRB-470 and RBL-1 were identified to be overall superior multipurpose varieties in that order.