Antinutritional factors in pulses as influenced by different levels of Callosobruchus chinensis L. (Bruchids) infestation.

Influence of six (10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60%) levels of bruchids infestation on the contents of selected antinutritional factors-phytic acid, saponins, trypsin inhibitors activity (TIA) of three (chickpea, red gram, and green gram) pulses was studied. Comparisons of infested samples were made with uninfested controls of each pulse. The three antinutritional factors viz TIA, phytic acid and saponins were found to increase with the increase in the level of infestation. All the control pulse values of the phytic acid, saponins and TIA were significantly lower than those of the infested samples. Barring a few exceptions, the differences in the contents of antinutritional factors in pulses infested at different levels were significant (P < 0.05).