CHEMICAL ANALYSES AND FOOD PROPERTIES^? LIMA BEAN (PTJASEOLUS LUNATUS L.) SEEDS GROWN IN PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

The nutritional composition and functional properties*of lima bean were studied using standard analytical techniques. The results gave proximate composition as follows: moisture, ash, crude fat, crude protein, crude fibre and carbohydrate were 3.8 2.10, 4.0 1.50, 3.2 0.50, 2.5.9 2.30, 2.50 0.05 and 60.6%, respectively. The results also showed that the predominant mineral was Ca (147AmgflOOg) followed by Mg (I42.2mg/I00g). Other minerals determined were Fe, P, Mn, Ni, Na, K, Cu, Zn and Crwith concentrations of 56.0,10.7, 2.6,1.7,1.4, 1.3, 1.31 p.4 and 0.2mg/100g sample, respectively while harmful metals such as Cd and Pb were not at the detectable range of.AAS. The sample contained nutritionally useful quantities of most of the essential amino acids with the first limiting amino acid as Met + Cys (0.49g/100g crude protein). Functional properties results were: foaming capacity (6.0 2.5%), foaming stability (75.0 1.0%), water absorption capacity (360.0 6.0%), oil absoi-ption capacity (356.0 1.5%), emulsion capacity (50.0 5.0gmV), emulsion stability (65.0 3.0gmL1), least gelaiionconcentration (12.0 2.0%) and bulk density (0.39356 0.5gmV). The studied sample could therefore be good sources of protein and supplement cereal diets in raising the biological value significantly.