II. LEGUMES, NUTS AND OILSEEDS

II. LEGUMES, NUTS AND OILSEEDS
• These legumes (excluding soybean) all have a somewhat similar nutritive value.
• contain about 22 percent protein (as opposed to 1 percent in cassava roots and 10 percent in maize)
• good quantities of thiamine, riboflavin and niacin
• richer in iron and calcium than most of the cereals.

(1) Soybean
• originated in Asia
• contain up to 40 percent protein, 18 percent fat and 20 percent carbohydrate.
• the protein is of a higher biological quality than that from other plant sources.
• used in a wide variety of ways:
– made into a variety of tasty dishes which supplement the staple food of rice or other cereal.
– Soy products such as tofu (soybean curd) and tempeh (a fermented product)
– as an enrichment of cereal flours, as an infant food or for institutional and school-feeding purposes.

(2). Groundnuts (peanuts)
• Nutrient content:
– groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) contain much more fat than other legumes, often 45 percent
– also much more niacin (18 mg per 100 g) and thiamine,
– but relatively little carbohydrate (12 percent).
– The protein content is a little higher than that of most other pulses (27 percent).
– Groundnuts are an unusually nutritious food with more protein than animal meat.
– They are energy dense because of their oil, and they are rich in vitamins and minerals.
– In predominantly maize diets, relatively small quantities of groundnuts, with their high content of niacin and also of protein (including the amino acid tryptophan), can prevent pellagra.
– When groundnuts are added to children's diets, their high protein and energy content serves to prevent protein-energy malnutrition.
• Used in a wide variety of ways:
– usually utilized for oil extraction, and the residue, groundnut cake, is used for animal feed.
– consumed as peanut butter (in USA)
– consumed roasted, boiled or cooked in other ways.

• Notice:
– if damaged during harvesting or if poorly stored in damp conditions, groundnuts may be attacked by the mould Aspergillus flavus
– Aspergillus flavus produces aflatoxin, which has been shown to cause liver damage in animals and to kill poultry fed on infected groundnuts.
– aflatoxin may be toxic also for humans and a cause of liver cancer.

(3) Tree nuts
1.Coconut
– highly useful plant, a part from the food it provides for humans.
– When it is green, the nut contains about half a liter of water; this is a very refreshing and hygienic drink, but apart from a little calcium and carbohydrate, it has no nutritive value.
– The white flesh, however, is rich in fat.
– The flesh of the coconut is usually sun-dried into copra.
– The oil from copra is used both for cooking and for making soap.
– It is an important ingredient in a variety of cuisines from Thailand to Saudi Arabia.
– Coconut oil has the disadvantage of containing a relatively high proportion of saturated fatty acids.
– The coconut sap in many countries is fermented to yield alcoholic beverages.
2.Cashew nut
– rich in fat (45 percent) and contain 20 percent protein and 26 percent carbohydrate.
– The edible swollen stalk of the nut contains good quantities of vitamin C
– Cashew nuts are a useful local food but too expensive for most people.

(4) Oilseeds
1.Sesame
– contain about 50 percent fat and 20 percent protein.
– also rich in calcium and contain useful quantities of carotene, iron and B vitamins.
– Sesame seeds can form a nutritious addition to the diet.
2.Sunflower seeds
– some of the seeds and some of the oil are eaten.
– the oil has the advantage of being relatively high in polyunsaturated fatty acids.
– the seeds contain about 36 percent oil (less than sesame), 23 percent protein and some calcium, iron, carotene and B vitamins.
3.Other oilseeds
– A number of other oil-rich seeds are eaten or used for oil extraction, include:
• pumpkin seeds
• melon seeds
• Cottonseed
– The last is a major source of oil in the cotton-growing areas of Asia, Africa and Latin America.
– In West Africa and elsewhere, shea butter (Butyrospermum parkii), butternut and several other oilseeds are used in the diet.