The effects of germination on chemical composition of peanut seed

Abstract

With regard to important changes in chemical composition, germination can be considered a valuable processing technique for modifying nutrient components of legume seeds. In this study, the changes in major chemical composition of peanut seeds were evaluated during short-term germination. The contents of water, minerals, aspartic acid, methionine, proline, folic acid, thiamine and total phenolics increased dramatically in peanut cotyledons and sprouts after germination, while the fat, riboflavin and ascorbic acid contents decreased markedly. The content of total amino acids, moreover, showed no obvious decrease, and the relative amount of some limiting and essential amino acids clearly increased after germination in peanut seed. This suggests that sprouts produced from peanut seeds could serve as a healthy food containing low fat, high levels of minerals and flavonoids.