Cereal Chem 67:230-232   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Nutritive Quality of Blends of Corn with Germinated Cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata), Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan), and Bambarra Groundnut (Voandzeia subterranea).

I. C. Obizoba. Copyright 1990 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Two germinated varieties of cowpea, Oraludi (OR) and akidi ani (AK), pigeon pea (PP), and bambarra groundnut (BG) were combined with sprouted yellow corn in various blends to evaluate their nutritive quality in young rats (45-60 g). Blends of 30% corn with 70% OR, AK, BG, or PP, and a casein control provided 1.6 g of N/100 g of diet to the rats for the study period. Nitrogen was much better utilized in rats fed casein than the test blends except for biological value. AK and BG blends consistently showed nutritional superiority to the other blends as judged by nitrogen balance and mineral utilization. These blends were also superior to casein in mineral utilization. The blends possessed acceptable characteristics similar to blends already tested and developed in this laboratory as the sole source of nutrients for infants or supplements for adults.