Microwave assisted disinfestation of green gram (Vigna radiata L.) infested with pulse beetle, Callasobruchus maculatus (F.).

Pulse beetle (Callasobruchus maculatus) is a common infestation during storage of legumes in India, and presently being managed by chemical fumigation. In the present investigation, a non-chemical method based on dielectric heating by microwaves (900 W, 2450 MHz) was studied for disinfestation of green gram at different grain layer thickness (5, 10, 15 and 20 mm) and exposure durations (0-60 s). The susceptibility (LT95) of different stages was in the order of egg (31.668 s) > grub (40.388 s) > pupa (44.176 s) > adult (49.018 s). The adult was tolerant up to 50 s (R2-0.799, P < 0.01) to microwave exposure duration without green gram, and up to 30 s (R2-0.804, P < 0.01) with green gram. Hundred percent mortality was observed at 10 mm (30 s, R2-0.969, P < 0.01) and 15 mm (30 s, R2-0.972, P < 0.01) grain layer thickness without significantly affecting grain quality. Cooking time and germination did not vary significantly up to 30 s of exposure, thereafter, reduced significantly. However, water uptake did not vary significantly up to 60 s of exposure. The microwave radiations are found effective for disinfestations of green gram without significantly affecting the grain quality.

Effect of high-pressure pre-soaking on texture and retrogradation properties of parboiled rice.

BACKGROUND: The poor palatability, low digestibility, and unpleasant color of parboiled rice (PR) have severely hampered its acceptance by consumers. It is hence necessary and urgent to develop a new method for producing high-quality PR. In the current study, the effect of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) pre-soaking on the color, textural properties, and the degree of retrogradation of PR was investigated. RESULTS: With HHP from 100 to 500 MPa, the water adsorption rate increased and cooking time decreased. Parboiled rice samples presented higher lightness scores (L) and had lower color intensity (B). Compared with a control group, PR samples treated with high-pressure pre-soaking showed a reduction of hardness values from 0.69% to 32.99%, and gumminess values also decreased from 8.58% to 33.62%. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicated that the enthalpy values of PR samples decreased after high pressure pre-soaking. The molecular structure of PR characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry confirmed that HHP pre-soaking could decrease the retrogradation level. CONCLUSION: The findings outlined above suggest that the texture and retrogradation properties of PR were improved after high-pressure pre-soaking. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of cooking temperature on cooked pasta quality and sustainability.

BACKGROUND: Everyday pasta cooking has a large environmental impact. The aims of this work were to assess the effect of cooking temperatures (TC ) that were lower than the water boiling point (TBW ) on the main chemico-physical quality parameters of two pasta shapes (i.e., ziti and spaghetti) cooked at the conventional and minimum water-to-pasta ratios, as well as their optimum cooking time (OCT), cooking energy consumption, and carbon footprint, by using a novel eco-sustainable pasta cooker. RESULTS: Once the effect of TC on OCT had been modeled in accordance with the Bigelow model, it was possible to estimate that the energy saved to heat the cooking water from ambient temperature to a lower temperature than TBW was smaller than the extra energy needed to complete the pasta cooking phase. After several cooking trials, the water uptake, cooking loss, textural properties, and thickness of the central nerve (as observed with a scanning electronic microscope) of cooked pasta were found to be independent of TC in the range of 85-98 °C. CONCLUSIONS: By using smaller amounts of water (~3 L kg-1 ) and cooking at 85 °C with the eco-sustainable pasta cooker, the energy consumption reduced from the default value of 2.8 kWh kg-1 to ~0.45 kWh kg-1 and GHG emissions to about one sixth of those resulting from the use of the average European home appliances. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.

Reduced retort processing time improves canning quality of fast-cooking dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

BACKGROUND: While it is generally accepted that fast-cooking germplasm benefits consumers, benefits to the canning industry have not been established. Genotypes with good canning quality withstand the canning process while remaining intact with good appearance, but canning protocols used by breeders typically involve long processing times that may overcook some genotypes. The goal of this study was to identify whether cooking time influences canning quality in dry beans and whether reducing processing time could improve canning quality of fast-cooking genotypes. RESULTS: A set of 20 yellow bean genotypes including Ervilha, PI527538 and 18 derived recombinant inbred lines were selected for their varied cooking times. By comparing the genotypes processed across five retort times, differences in canning quality were identified. All genotypes performed better when processed for less time than the standard 45 min, but canning quality was highest at 10 min for fast- and medium-cooking genotypes and 15 min for slow-cooking genotypes. Cooking time was correlated positively with texture and intactness and negatively with washed-drained weights, indicating that slower cooking beans have higher canning quality. Color changed with retort processing such that longer times produced darker beans with more red and yellow. CONCLUSIONS: While fast-cooking beans exhibited lower canning quality at standard processing times, reduced retort processing time allowed them to meet quality standards while still maintaining food safety. By accounting for cooking time as a component of canning quality, breeders can develop varieties that are convenient and cost efficient for preparation for both consumers and the canning industry. Published 2020. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Effect of enzyme pretreatment on dehulling, cooking time and protein content of pigeon pea (variety BDN2).

This study was carried out to investigate the effect of enzymatic pretreatment at different enzyme concentration, incubation time, incubation temperature and tempering water pH on the hulling efficiency, cooking quality and protein content of pigeon pea (variety BDN2). Response surface methodology based on a four-factor, five-level, central composite design was employed to study the effect of the independent variables and optimize processing conditions. A quadratic model satisfactorily described the hulling efficiency, cooking time and protein content with high value for the coefficient of determination R2 (0.95, 0.92 and 0.97 respectively). It predicted a maximum hulling efficiency of 84.35%, minimum cooking time 13.06 min and maximum protein content 22.60% at enzyme concentration, and 31.34 mg/100 g dry matter, incubation time, 8.72 h, incubation temperature, 43.47 °C and tempering water, pH 5.99. Results were also compared with hulling efficiency, cooking time and protein content obtained with traditional oil pretreated method 78.30%, 14.30 min and 18.53% respectively. It revealed that hulling efficiency and protein content of enzyme pretreated pigeon pea could be increased 2.44% and 6.77% respectively, whereas cooking time could be reduced 1.50 min compared to the oil pretreated method.

Genetic and environmental factors contribute to variation in cell wall composition in mature desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) cotyledons.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important nutritionally rich legume crop that is consumed worldwide. Prior to cooking, desi chickpea seeds are most often dehulled and cleaved to release the split cotyledons, referred to as dhal. Compositional variation between desi genotypes has a significant impact on nutritional quality and downstream processing, and this has been investigated mainly in terms of starch and protein content. Studies in pulses such as bean and lupin have also implicated cell wall polysaccharides in cooking time variation, but the underlying relationship between desi chickpea cotyledon composition and cooking performance remains unclear. Here, we utilized a variety of chemical and immunohistological assays to examine details of polysaccharide composition, structure, abundance, and location within the desi chickpea cotyledon. Pectic polysaccharides were the most abundant cell wall components, and differences in monosaccharide and glycosidic linkage content suggest both environmental and genetic factors contribute to cotyledon composition. Genotype-specific differences were identified in arabinan structure, pectin methylesterification, and calcium-mediated pectin dimerization. These differences were replicated in distinct field sites and suggest a potentially important role for cell wall polysaccharides and their underlying regulatory machinery in the control of cooking time in chickpea.

Development and quality evaluation of quick cooking dhal-A convenience product.

Owing to rapid urbanization and more women joining the workforce, use of ready-to-eat and ready-to-use convenience foods is gaining increasing popularity. Women require dhal that cooks fast and increases in volume when cooked. In an attempt to prepare quick cooking dhal from pigeon pea, variety UPAS 120 was milled, pre-treated with sodium chloride solution (1%), flaked and dried. The quick cooking dhal was packed in three packaging materials, namely, high molecular weight high density polyethylene (HMHDPE), high density polyethylene (HDPE) and laminated pouches. The quality evaluation of the prepared flakes with respect to the cooking quality attributes, changes in proximate composition, free fatty acid (FFA) and peroxide value (PV) were carried out during storage at ambient temperature (8-36°C) at regular intervals for a period of 10 months. During storage, quick cooking dhal packed in laminated pouches performed better than samples stored in other pouches with respect to the changes in the overall quality and acceptability of the product.

Effect of meat chunk size, massaging time and cooking time on quality of restructured pork blocks.

In the present study, effect of meat chunk size (2-3 and 4-5 cm), massaging time (6, 8 and 10 min) and cooking time (40, 45 and 50 min) on quality of restructured pork blocks was evaluated. Higher product yield (89.31%) was obtained with chunk size of 2-3 cm compared to blocks prepared from chunk size of 4-5 cm (85.12%). PH and shear force values were comparable. Among sensory attributes appearance and overall palatability was significantly higher for product prepared from chunk size of 2-3 cm. Increase in massage time from 6 min to 10 min resulted in improvement in product yield and reduction in shear force value. All the sensory attributes improved with the increasing massaging time except the flavour, which remained constant. Ten minutes of massaging time was found optimum due to higher product yield, significantly better appearance, texture and overall palatability than 6 and 8 min of massaging. In cooking time, it was found that product yield and shear force values were inversely proportional to the cooking time. Sensory attributes were comparable. Cooking time of 50 min was found optimum in view of better sensory attributes of the product than 40 and 45 min of cooking. From the present study it can be concluded that Meat chunk size of 2-3 cm, massaging time of 10 min and cooking time of 50 min was found optimum for making restructured pork blocks in the view of better sensory attributes of the product.

Development of standard operating protocol for measurement of cassava root mealiness.

One of the major attributes of boiled cassava roots is its ability to soften within a short period, otherwise known as mealiness. This study aimed to establish and validate standard operating procedures for assessing the mealiness of boiled cassava roots. Twenty cassava genotypes, including landrace and improved varieties, were selected for the protocol development, with an additional ten genotypes used for validation. Following cooking, the cassava roots were evaluated for hardness and work done in extrusion using a texturometer equipped with a five-blade Ottawa cell probe. The same samples were assessed for sensory texture analysis using trained panelists for parameters such as softness and chewiness. Pearson's correlation analysis revealed significant positive correlations (p < 0.01) between sensory softness and instrumental texture measurements, as well as between softness and cooking time (p < 0.01, r = 0.94), and between chewiness and cooking time (p < 0.05, r = 0.81). Validation results confirmed significant correlations (p < 0.01) between cooking time, sensory softness, and chewiness. These findings suggest that cooking time can serve as a reliable indicator, closely associated with sensory attributes, in determining the mealiness of boiled cassava roots. This approach offers a practical, mid-throughput method for assessing cassava root mealiness, with implications for breeding improved varieties, farmers adoption, and consumer acceptance.

Physicochemical Features and Volatile Organic Compounds of Horse Loin Subjected to Sous-Vide Cooking.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature and time of sous-vide cooking method on the characteristics of Thoroughbred horse loin. Sliced portions (200 ± 50 g) were cooked by boiling (control) and sous-vide (65 and 70 °C for 12, 18, and 24 h). The samples were analyzed for proximate composition, pH, color, texture, microstructure, sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE), microbiology, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nucleotide content, and fatty acids composition. The color analysis showed decreased redness at elevated temperatures. Improved tenderness, demonstrated by reduced shear force values (36.36 N at 65 °C for 24 h and 35.70 N at 70 °C for 24 h). The micrographs indicated dense fiber arrangements at 70 °C. The SDS-PAGE revealed muscle protein degradation with extended sous-vide cooking. The VOC analysis identified specific compounds, potentially distinctive markers for sous-vide cooking of horse meat including 1-octen-3-ol, decanal, n-caproic acid vinyl ester, cyclotetrasiloxane, octamethyl, and 3,3-dimethyl-1,2-epoxybutane. This study highlights the cooking time's primary role in sous vide-cooked horse meat tenderness and proposes specific VOCs as potential markers. Further research should explore the exclusivity of these VOCs to sous-vide cooking.

Evaluation of Loquat Jam Quality at Different Cooking Times Based on Physicochemical Parameters, GC-IMS and Intelligent Senses.

The study compared and analyzed the quality of loquat jam with different cooking times through physicochemical parameters, headspace-gas chromatography-ion migration spectroscopy (HS-GC-IMS) and intelligent senses. The results showed that with the prolongation of the cooking time, the color of loquat jam slowly deepened, the energy significantly increased, the adhesiveness, gumminess, hardness and chewiness enhanced, the free amino acid content increased from 22.40 to 65.18 mg/g. The organic acid content increased from 1.64 to 9.82 mg/g. Forty-seven volatile flavor compounds were identified in five types of loquat jam using HS-GC-IMS, among which the relative content of aldehydes was sharply higher than that of other chemical substances, playing an important role in the flavor formation of loquat jam. LJ0, LJ1 and LJ2 had higher aldehyde content, followed by LJ3 and LJ4 had the lowest aldehyde content. The orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) screened 15 marker compounds that could distinguish five types of loquat jam. The E-nose results showed a significant difference in olfactory sense between loquat jam cooked for 100 and 120 min. The E-tongue results corroborated the results of free amino acids (FAAs) and organic acids, indicating that the gustatory sense of loquat jam changed significantly when the cooking time reached 120 min. The results provided a basis for further research on the relationship between the cooking process and quality characteristics of loquat jam.

Optimization of soaking conditions (temperature and time) on physicochemical properties of selected parboiled rice varieties grown in Eastern Ethiopia.

This study aimed to optimize soaking temperature and time for better physicochemical properties of parboiled rice varieties grown in Eastern Ethiopia. Two brown rice varieties (NERICA-4 and NERICA-6) were collected from the Somali Regional Agricultural and Pastoral Research Center in Gode. The experiment was designed to aid the design expert software using box-behnken experimental design of response surface methodology to optimize the effects of soaking temperature (60-70°C) and soaking time (4-6 h). Relevant physical and chemical composition properties of the parboiled rice varieties were investigated using standard methods. Numerical optimization of the responses was performed using design expert software. The results showed that soaking time and temperature significantly (p < .05) influenced the physicochemical quality of studied brown rice varieties. The optimal soaking temperature and time were 65°C and 6 h, respectively, for NERICA-4. Under these conditions, the optimum response variables obtained were 375.37 N, 52 min, 12.3%, 1.24%, 13.86%, 2.17%, 3.2942%, 67.1171%, 343.5 kcal/100 g, 274.72 mg/100 g, 318.35 mg/100 g, and 268.31 mg/100 g for hardness, cooking time, moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, energy, magnesium, and potassium and phosphorous content, respectively. However, 65°C and 5 h were optimum soaking temperatures and time for NERICA-6, giving hardness, cooking time, moisture, ash, protein, fat, fiber, carbohydrate, energy content, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorous of 375.18 N, 52 min, 12.2%, 1.4%, 11.54%, 2.29%, 2.89%, 69.6%, 345.42 kcal/100 g, 156 mg/100 g, 105.9 mg/100 g and 136.9 mg/100 g, respectively. The findings showed that rice varieties, in particular NARICA 4, were processed under optimal parboiling conditions in the study setting for better physical properties, proximate composition, and mineral content.

Biosorption of potassium ion using bean seeds and its energy saving application.

Ca and Mg have been implicated in causing hardness in beans resulting in relatively long cooking time. This study used potassium to replace the cations and determined the adsorption of potassium solution to bean seeds. Then, plantain peel, a natural source of potassium, was used to cook beans and its impact on the cooking time of beans was investigated. The adsorption experiments were performed using batch technique, while metal compositions of the bean seeds and plantain peel were determined by spectroscopy. Optimum removal conditions of potassium ion biosorption using bean seeds were observed at pH 10.2, 2 g bean seed dosage, 180 min agitation time, with 75 ppm as initial metal concentration. The kinetic model correlate with pseudo-second order reaction and the Langmuir adsorption model best fitted the adsorption. After cooking the beans with plantain peel, the concentration of Mg reduced in the bean seeds by about 48%, while the concentration of Ca reduced by about 22%, but the concentration of K increased by over 200% in the cooked bean seeds. Beans treated with plantain peel cooked earlier than the control experiment. This may be affected by pH, adsorbent dosage, metal concentration and contact time.

Modeling the Effects of Seed Maturity on Cooking Time of 'Dimitra' Lentils.

The lentil is a valuable crop for human nutrition and is cooked to adequate softening prior to consumption. The objective of the study was to use a model to point out the effects of seed maturity on optimum cooking time (OCT). Two lentil seed samples (cv 'Dimitra') exhibiting short (SCT) and long (LCT) cooking times (CT) were visually separated into brown- and green-colored categories, corresponding to mature and immature seeds, respectively. The 1000-seed mass and the percentages of maturity categories were measured in samples before they were subjected to 20-60 min CT. Absolute positive force (APF)-based texture analysis parameters were monitored during CT. OCT thresholds were established by correlating the organoleptic with the texture analyzer parameters. The averaging and weighted averaging of the texture analysis parameters, or even their modeling, failed to produce a realistic OCT due to texture values exceeding the OCT threshold. However, the modeling of the percentage of cooked seeds during CT predicted a realistic OCT, which was also validated later. In this model, all seeds (overcooked or intact, mature or immature) were taken into account. Among the texture parameters, APF better described cooking. Mature seeds softened faster and produced more overcooked seeds than did the immature seeds. The different proportions of maturity categories within the SCT and LCT seeds greatly affected the sample OCT.

Insight into pectin-cation-phytate theory of hardening in common bean varieties with different sensitivities to hard-to-cook.

In this study, a detailed quantitative analysis of the mechanisms linked with pectin-cation-phytate hypothesis of hard-to-cook development (HTC) was evaluated to assess the plausibility of this hypothesis. Several common bean varieties with varying sensitivities to HTC were characterized for pectin, cell wall bound calcium and inositol hexaphosphate (InsP6) content before and after ageing. Ageing resulted in a significant decrease in InsP6 content (resulting in calcium release) in all varieties. Despite not significantly changing during ageing, the cell wall bound calcium content significantly increased in most aged bean varieties upon short cooking indicating enhanced internal cation migration during the early phase of cooking in contrast to during ageing and soaking. Among the parameters evaluated in this study, the relative changes in InsP6 content significantly correlated with the change in cooking times as well as changes in cell wall bound calcium content. Results obtained in this study suggest that in some bean varieties, pectin-cation-phytate hypothesis is the predominant mechanism by which hardening occurs during storage while in other varieties, the role of other factors such as phenolic crosslinking as suggested in literature cannot be ruled out.

Soaking beans for 12 h reduces split percent and cooking time regardless of type of water used for cooking.

Beans are one of the most important cheap source of protein in developing countries. However, their utilisation in the diets of many people remains limited due to long cooking time, among others. Therefore, it is imperative to identify ways to enhance utilisation of beans. The aim of the current study was to assess the effects of soaking and cooking in different types of water (tap, borehole, acidulated- 1.0 percent citric acid and soda- 0.2 percent sodium bicarbonate) on cooking time (CT), split percentage (SP) and total soluble solids (TSS) in broth of different varieties of beans. Results show that soaking significantly reduced CT across eight varieties from an average CT of 109.5-84.6 min in tap water, 109.5-85.2 min in borehole water, 115.9-92.7 min in acidulated water and 82.0-51.2 min in soda water representing 22.7%, 22.1%, 20.0% and 37.6% reduction in CT, respectively. Soaking generally decreased SP and varietal differences were observed suggesting beans are less likely to break when soaking precede cooking. Although cooking in soda water significantly reduced CT, unfortunately, it increased SP. Acidulated water extended CT but reduced SP in almost all varieties. Soaking generally decreased TSS in broth from 7.0 to 6.7% in tap water, 6.1-5.8% in borehole water and 11.3-7.7% in soda water while it increased TSS in acidulated water from 18.2 to 20.6% across all the eight varieties which suggest reduction in leaching out of bean solids into cooking water which is consistent with reduced SP of soaked beans. While use of soda water reduced cooking time and therefore saved time and energy, its effect of increasing split percent may not be appealing to some consumers. This study has demonstrated that bean soaking significantly reduced cooking time and split percent and these can also be affected by type of cooking water.

Determining the Optimal Cooking Time for Cooking Loss, Shear Force, and Off-Odor Reduction of Pork Large Intestines.

The objective of this study was to determine the optimal cooking time by considering the cooking loss, shear force, and off-odor reduction of pork large intestines. Commercial pork large intestines were purchased, quartered perpendicularly, and cooked in boiling water for 40, 120, 180, and 240 min. Cooking loss of the samples increased after 240 min of cooking (10.92, p<0.05) while shear force value was lower at 240 min (4.45) compared to that at other cooking times (p<0.001). The amount of major volatile organic compounds showed a decreasing trend with increasing cooking time. In particular, the amount of methyl pentanoate (17,528.71) and methyl isobutyrate (812.51), compounds with a relatively low odor threshold, decreased significantly after 120 min of cooking and no change was observed thereafter (p<0.05). In addition, the amount of 2-pentanol (3,785.65) and 1-propanol (622.26), possibly produced by lipid oxidation, significantly decreased at the same cooking time (p<0.001). In the principal component analysis, only the 40 min cooking time was significantly different from other cooking time by high amounts of 1-propanol, 2-pentanol, and methyl isobutyrate. In conclusion, in the present study, the optimal cooking time for pork large intestines was 120 min in terms of off-odor reduction, cooking loss, and shear force.

Effect of High Temperature Stress During the Reproductive Stage on Grain Yield and Nutritional Quality of Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus).

High temperature during the reproductive stage limits the growth and development of lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus). The reproductive and seed filling periods are the most sensitive to heat stress, resulting in limited yield and nutritional quality. Climate change causes frequent incidents of heat stress for global food crop production. This study aimed to assess the impact of high temperature during the reproductive stage of lentil on grain yield, nutritional value, and cooking quality. Thirty-six lentil genotypes were evaluated under controlled conditions for their high temperature response. Genotypic variation was significant (p < 0.001) for all the traits under study. High temperature-induced conditions reduced protein, iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) concentrations in lentils. Under heat stress conditions, mineral concentrations among lentil genotypes varied from 6.0 to 8.8 mg/100 g for Fe and from 4.9 to 6.6 mg/100 g for Zn. Protein ranged from 21.9 to 24.3 g/100 g. Cooking time was significantly reduced due to high temperature treatment; the range was 3-11 min, while under no stress conditions, cooking time variation was from 5 to 14 min. Phytic acid variation was 0.5-1.2 g/100 g under no stress conditions, while under heat stress conditions, phytic acid ranged from 0.4 to 1.4 g/100 g. All genotypes had highly significant bioavailable Fe and moderately bioavailable Zn under no stress conditions. Whereas under heat stress conditions, Fe and Zn bioavailability was reduced due to increased phytic acid levels. Our results will greatly benefit the development of biofortified lentil cultivars for global breeding programs to generate promising genotypes with low phytic acid and phytic acid/micronutrient ratio to combat micronutrient malnutrition.

Effect of Resistant Starch Sources on the Physical Properties of Dough and on the Eating Quality and Glycemic Index of Salted Noodles.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristics and eating quality of salted noodles that are incorporated with different formulations of flour. Up to 20% of wheat flour was substituted by composite flours of highly resistant starches, including heat moisture treatment corn starch (HMT-CS), high-amylose corn starch (Hylon VII), and green banana flour (GBF). The physical properties of dough, in conjunction with the eating quality and estimated glycemic index (EGI) of cooked salted noodles, were investigated in this study. The results concluded that the incorporation of GBF, HMT, and Hylon VII not only affected the water absorption and mixing tolerance of the dough, but also the maximum resistance to extension and extensibility in terms of the extensographic properties. Meanwhile, GBF, HMT, and Hylon VII incorporation significantly increased the resistant starch content and decreased the fat content of the noodle samples. The textural profile analyses of cooked salted noodles indicated that hardness, gumminess, chewiness, and shearing force increased; nevertheless, springiness declined with the increase in the proportion of flours from 10 to 20%. The sensory evaluation detected that wheat flour composited with 10% GBF and HMT flours could produce acceptable quality noodles as compared with normal typical control noodles. In the meantime, salted noodles incorporated with GBF, HMT-CS, and Hylon VII flour decreased the estimated glycemic index (EGI) dramatically. The result of this study concluded that incorporation of various sources of resistant starch flour could develop a low-GI noodle with good acceptability that may contribute to gastrointestinal health.

Chemical and molecular examinations of some cowpea genotypes using simple sequence repeat and intersimple sequence repeat DNA markers in relation to their cooking quality.

Cowpea is a leguminous crop that has received widespread attention due to its high nutritional value. However, it is prone to losing some of its nutritional content due to the long cooking process. In this study, fourteen cowpea genotypes were evaluated for their chemical properties before and after cooking, along with the effect of different cooking treatments on the cooking time, considered as the main indicator of the cooking quality. Moreover, the correlation between molecular markers (simple sequence repeat (SSR) and intersimple sequence repeat (ISSR)) and the cooking time of cowpea genotypes was determined. The obtained results showed significant differences between all the investigated genotypes before and after the cooking procedure, reflecting significant genotypic and heritability estimates. Kareem 7 and Greenish Black Balady genotypes showed the shortest cooking time. Microwave's treatment manifested the shortest cooking time compared with the other treatments, which appeared as a new approach to improve the cooking quality of cowpea seeds. Spearman's rank correlation showed that the calculated values were smaller than the tabulated value at 0.05, reflecting the existence of a rank correlation between SSR/ISSR-PCR banding products and the cooking time of cowpea genotypes. Such a study appeared to be a new approach, particularly in Egypt for the proper selection of the optimal cowpea seed on the basis of its cooking quality.