Amino acids
Table 4 shows the amino acid composition of raw and treated mung bean seeds. Mung bean protein was rich in essential amino acids such as total aromatic amino acids, leucine, isoleucine and valine, compared with the FAO/WHO (1973) reference. However, threonine, total sulfur amino acids, lysine and tryptophan were slightly deficient in mung bean protein compared with the reference pattern. Dehulling and germination processes caused a slight increase in total essential amino acids, but there were only slight decreases by other processes. All processes decreased the concentrations of isoleucine, tryptophan (except germination) and total sulfur amino acids (except dehulling and germination). Soaked and cooked processes of mung bean seeds were slightly decreased in lysine (except dehulled and germinated). These results confirmed those reported by Ziena (1989), who found that cooking reduced the sulfur-containing amino acids and tryptophan. All processes increased the concentration of leucine (except soaked process). The leucine/isoleucine ratios of all processed mung bean seeds were typical, of the ideal ratio suggested by FAO/WHO (1973). Deosthale, Mohan, and Rao (1970) showed that excess leucine in foods interfered with the utilization of isoleucine and lysine.