[Soluble, insoluble and total dietary fiber in raw and cooked legumes]

Soluble (SDF), Insoluble (IDF) and total dietary fiber (TDF) were analysed in 26 samples of the following legumes: Peas (Pisum sativum L) coated and uncoated; beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L), beans (Vigna sinesis L), chick peas (Cicer arietinum L), lentils (Lens culinaris L) and pigeon peas (Cajanus indicus L) raw and cooked, purchased at wholesale level. The AOAC enzimatic-gravimetric method (1990) was used. The cooked grains were drained and dried before analysis. Values for TDF in the raw legumes were 13.6 and 28.9% in chick peas and white beans respectively. In processed grains, values varied from 16.1 and 27.0% in yellow peas uncoated and black beans respectively. As expected the values for IDF were greater in all samples than those for SDF.