Effects of irradiation on protein electrophoretic properties, water absorption and cooking quality of lentils

Effects of gamma irradiation at doses of 1 kGy, 5 kGy, and 10 kGy on water absorption properties, cooking quality and electrophoretic patterns of insoluble proteins of red and green lentil samples were investigated. The densitometric analysis indicated that the effects of irradiation on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polycrylamide gel electrophoresis patterns of red and green lentil proteins were not significant. Generally, a 1 kGy irradiation dose did not significantly affect the water absorption properties of the lentil samples while significant increases were observed at the 5 kGy level. The dry and wet cooking times were found to be significantly decreased, as the irradiation level increased in all red and green lentil samples.