Polar lipids of defatted chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) flour and protein isolates

Polar lipid composition of defatted chickpea flour and protein isolates was studied. The main compounds were phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidylethanolamine. Other compounds, in lower amounts, were sterol glucosides, esterified sterol glucosides and digalactosyldiglycerides. Palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid were the main fatty acids in polar lipids. A reduction in the content of phosphatidylinositol and sterol glucosides in the protein isolates with respect to the defatted flour was observed, indicating that these compounds are more sensitive to the chemical treatment of the protein isolates. However, unsaturated fatty acids and unsaturated sterols content decreased in the protein isolates probably undergoing oxidative degradation.