Effect of microwave treatment on the antinutritional factors of two accessions of velvet bean, Mucuna pruriens (L.) DC. var. utilis (Wall. ex Wight) Bak. ex Burck

The present study was carried out to investigate the role of microwave treatment in eliminating the antinutritional factors such as, total free phenolics, tannin, l-dopa, phytic acid, hydrogen cyanide, total oxalate, trypsin inhibitor activity, oligosaccharides and phytohaemagglutins in the seeds of two accessions of velvet bean, Mucuna pruriens var. utilis. Microwave treated raw and overnight soaked seeds of both the investigated accessions of Mucuna bean showed a time duration dependent increase in the total free phenolics and L-dopa; whereas, level of tannin in both raw and overnight soaked seeds get reduced. The levels of phytic acid, hydrogen cyanide, total oxalate and trypsin inhibitor activity of presently investigated raw and overnight soaked seeds showed time duration dependent decline. Complete elimination of phytohaemagglutinating activity with respect to erythrocyte of ‘O’ blood group was observed at 8-12 minutes. Oligosaccharides like raffinose, stachyose and verbascose were also significantly (p 0.05) reduced.