Variation and relationships among nutritional traits in Sicilian genotypes of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.)

The chemical composition of several chickpeas originating from Sicily, compared with the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas genotype "ILC 484" and the Italian cultivar "Calia," was determined. A large variability was ascertained for crude fiber (coefficient of variation [CV] = 29.3%), calcium (CV = 39.3%) and tannins (CV = 120.0%). The genotype statistically affected all nutrient characteristics assessed, whose mean values were: (1) 100-seed weight 34.0 ± 3.3 g; (2) crude fiber 2.88 ± 0.8 g/100 g; (3) fat 6.0 ± 0.9 g/100 g; (4) total carbohydrates 62.0 ± 1.4 g/ 100 g; (5) ash 2.64 ± 0.2 g/100 g; (6) iron 4.50 ± 0.3 mg/100 g; (7) calcium 109.6 ± 43.1 mg/100 g; (8) magnesium 189.4 ± 18.5 mg/100 g; (9) potassium 1318.7 ± 95.6 mg/100 g; and (10) tannins 0.90 ± 1.1 g/100 g. An average energy value of 379.8 ± 6.2 kcal/100 g was computed. The wide variability ascertained for some chemical attributes such as crude fiber, tannins and Ca content, and interesting correlations observed among characteristics, such as the negative correlation between Fe and tannins or fiber, or the positive correlation between ash and Fe, suggest the possibility of identifying genotypes to be used in breeding programs for the improvement of chickpea quality in Sicily.