Location: Plant Genetics Research
Project Number: 5070-21000-044-032-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 16, 2024
End Date: Sep 15, 2025
Objective:
The objective is to characterize and devise methods to inactivate the anti-nutritional component of dry beans. The three major anti-nutritional components of dry beans of concern are lectins (phytohemagglutinins), trypsin, and chymotrypsin inhibitors. The trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors are less well characterized. The work proposed will use biochemical and molecular techniques to measure and characterize these major antinutritional components.
Approach:
We recently developed an easy and rapid procedure to measure trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor activities in soybean meal. We will utilize this simple method to measure trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitor activities in dry beans. We will examine the effect of different processing methods (microwaving, roasting, boiling etc.) on inactivating the antinutritional factors. Additionally, we will screen germplasm from the major market classes grown in the U.S to identify cultivars that have low concentrations of these antinutritional components.
