Effect of Various Cooking Conditions on the Amount of Proximate Components and L-DOPA in Mucuna Beans

Abstract

The changes in amounts of chemical components and L-DOPA in Mucuna beans under different cooking conditions were measured. More than 80% of the carbohydrate, crude protein, calcium and insoluble dietary fiber, and less than 30% of L-DOPA in the raw dehulled beans remained in dehulled beans which had been boiled for 40 minutes after soaking at 90°C for 3 or 4 hours. The amount of L-DOPA in the beans that had been roasted under the optimum conditions of 170°C for 20-30 minutes or 190°C for 10-20 minutes was 45-67% of the amount in the raw dehulled beans. Almost no L-DOPA remained in the bean flour that had been washed 7 times or in the bean paste that had been washed 3 times. These results quantify the effects of different cooking conditions on the amount of L-DOPA in Mucuna beans.