Evaluating new lines of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan L.) as a human food source

This work aimed to select the best lines of pigeon pea for human nutrition according to their nutritional and technological properties. Nutritional content such as starch, protein, fiber, phenolics, minerals content; technological properties as hydration kinetics and cooking kinetics were studied. As results, the lines of pigeon pea presented high content of calcium, manganese and fiber, but lower content of iron, protein, and zinc in comparison to other commercial legume grains, such as chickpeas and common beans. Once the nutritional composition of the nine studied lines was similar, the lines whose grains presented higher hydration capacity were selected since this is desirable for reaching homogeneous texture after the cooking process. Consequently, two lines (namely g18-95 and g57-95) were selected and recommended due to their complete hydration and homogeneous cooking for being produced in higher scale for human consumption. Practical applications: Many lines of pigeon pea grow in Brazil, but not all of them are suitable for large scale production. Therefore, selecting new lines of pigeon peas opens the market for new foods considering desirable aspects for the consumer as good nutritional quality and good cooking properties, as an alternative to other commercial pulses.