Effect of physical mutagen on the salmonella inactivation, sensory evaluation and proximate analysis of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is an important pulse crop grown and consumed all over the world. It is a good as well as the cheapest source of protein, soluble, insoluble fibers, vitamins, potassium and phosphorus. The present research was done to check the efficacy of gamma irradiation on chickpea's proximate components and how the physical mutagen helped in Salmonella inactivation without any significant change in the proximate components of chickpea. The samples were treated with three different doses of gamma radiation (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 kGy). Screening and evaluation of native micro flora on chickpea was performed and the viable counts of the microbes detected on samples of chickpea were Bacillus subtillis, Escherichia coli, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella sp. which were confirmed by biochemical test (API strips) before and after gamma irradiation. Results showed that 2 kGy is the optimum dose for chickpea at which complete elimination of Salmonella was recorded with no significant effect on sensory property as well as the proximate content of Cicer arietinum L.