1Food Science and Nutrition Research Group, Institute of Fundamental Studies, Hantana Road, Kandy, 20000, Sri Lanka.
2Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
3Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
4Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
Online published on 20 November, 2014.
Four cowpea cultivars namely ‘Waruni’, ‘Bombay’, ‘Dawala’, and ‘MI35’, were analyzed for proximate composition, micronutrients, total dietary fibre (TDF), total phenolic content (TPC), and antioxidant activity (AOA). AOA, measured by FRAP and DPPH assays in hot and cold extracts ranged 10.9435.28, 27.49 -8.02 (μmolg−1) and 126.4–531.0, 350.91–586.63 (IC 50in μg), respectively. TPC varied in hot and cold extracts from 2.70–6.08 -2.36–6.00 mgg−1, respectively. Proximate composition analysis revealed that the four cultivars contained 22.97–25.40% protein, 3.24–3.66% fat, 5.66–6.85% crude fibre, and 56.5060.44% carbohydrates. The TDF was around 4% in the cultivars. Calcium, Zinc, and Iron ranged from 383.75–5672.54, 32.34, 34.71 and 33.44–135.63 (mg/kg), respectively. ‘Waruni’, cultivar had the highest AOA and TPC.
Antioxidant activity, Cowpeas, Micronutrients, Proximate composition, Total phenols, Total dietary fiber