A simple method to identify chickpea cultivars to be included in infant food manufacture

A simple method is described for obtaining an overall view of estimated trace element bioavailability in chickpeas, in order to select chickpea cultivars for use as ingredients in infant food manufacture. The two-phase method is based on a set of six raw variables (VRi, i = 1-6): average Fe, Cu, Zn, trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid and tannin contents. In the first phase, each VR was transformed into a VTi : VT = (VR - min) × 100/(max - min). In the second phase, using information drawn from the set of three trace elements VT, a new variable was obtained, defined as the area enclosed within a three-axis system (TE area). A similar process was used with the data for trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid and tannin to obtain an antinutritive factor area (AF area). Four cultivars (ca2047, ca2219, ca2222 and p678) were deemed to be of particular interest as possible ingredients of an infant food formula, since they combined a high level of trace elements with a low level of antinutritive substances. In addition, a significant correlation was observed between TE and AF areas (r = 0.37, p < 0.05), showing that a high overall trace element content in chickpeas correlates with high overall antinutritive substance levels. Finally, the chickpea cultivar ca2219 is proposed as the best option, having ruled out other possibilities.