Potential of cowpea genotypes for nutrient biofortifi cation and cooking quality

Resumo

Cowpea is a very important food for the populations of the North and Northeast regions of Brazil, representing
an excellent source of proteins and minerals. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential of 100 cowpea genotypes for
biofortifi cation of iron, zinc, and proteins, and cooking quality of the grain. The iron and zinc contents were analyzed by x-ray
fl uorescence spectrometry; protein content was based on nitrogen determination, using the Kjeldahl method; and cooking quality
was assessed using an electric pressure cooker and Mattson cooker. The superiority of genotypes for iron, zinc, proteins, and
cooking quality was carried out using the nutritional quality and cooking index. The iron content ranged from 3.58 to 6.06 mg 100 g-1
,
with an overall average of 4.66 mg 100 g-1, while the zinc content between 2.35 and 4.57 mg 100 g-1 and average of 3.31 mg 100 g-1
.
Protein range ranged from 20.82 to 26.92 g 100 g-1 and an average of 24.30 g 100 g-1. The percentage of cooked grains ranged
from 20 to 98%, with an average of 68.7%. The line MNC11-1023E-28 has the best profi le of nutritional and cooking quality,
showing potential as a food to meet consumer demands and reverse iron and zinc defi ciency in the Brazilian population.