Avaliação da biossegurança alimentar de genótipos de feijão caupi (Vigna unguiculata L. WALP) suscetível e resistente ao Callosobruchus maculatus (FABR. 1775 )

Abstract

Brazil is one of the largest producers of cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.], a very important legume for human dietary protein and carbohydrate supply. Nevertheless, there are some factors which limit its productivity and utilization. The insect Callosobuchus maculatus (cowpea weevil) is considered the principal pest that attacks stored grains. In the Northeast of Brazil, breeding efforts involving cowpea have been directed towards the selection of high yielding varieties associated with traits of resistance to diseases and pests. However, studies on the nutritional quality of these improved genotypes are scanty. In this study, the research was conducted with two cowpea genotypes, BR9 Longá e IT81D 1053, susceptible and resistant to cowpea weevil, respectively, to evaluate whether the probable factors related to the resistance would interfere with the nutritional value. Proximate composition showed that both genotypes are good sources of proteins (23.45 and 26.61 g/100 g dry matter), carbohydrates (61.62 and 62.94 g/100 g dry matter) and crude fiber (4.32 and 5.20 g/100 g dry matter), presenting low contents of oil (3.30 and 3.89 g/100 g dry matter). Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the seed flours showed similar patterns for both genotypes, except for the presence of a very prominent 29 kDa band in the resistant genotype. The presence of antinutritional factors such as lectin, urease and trypsin inhibitor was detected in both cowpea genotypes. Lectin (0.10 UH/mgF) and urease (25.13 and 25.41 U/gF) amounts were similar in the susceptible and resistant genotypes. The resistant genotype presented a higher content of trypsin inhibitor (18.55 mg trypsin inhibited/gF) than the susceptible one (12.57 mg trypsin inhibited/gF). Feeding trial conducted with rats fed the experimental diets containing seed flour of BR9 Longá and IT81D 1053 as the sole protein source, at 10% level, were not sufficient to promote animal growth compared to the animals fed the high quality diet containing egg white. However, when compared the treatments containing susceptible and resistant cowpea genotypes most of parameters analyzed were similar. Diets containing the chitin binding proteins (CBP), purified from susceptible and resistant cowpea genotypes and complemented.