Soy is known to be rich in proteins and lipids and its inclusion in the diet of Brazil's population is increasing. Due to the commercial and nutritional importance of soy, possible alterations resulting from the methods of conservation to which they are subjected must be studied. The present work evaluated the chemical composition, the in vitro digestibility of proteins and the percentage of deamidation of grains of five different soy cultivars (BRS 212, BRS 213, BRS 214, 231 BRS and E48) subjected to irradiation (doses of 2, 4 and 8 kGy). The chemical composition showed ashes varying from 4.90 to 6.08%, proteins from 21.23 to 36.99%, lipids from 19.22 to 24.84%, soluble fibers from 1.37 to 4.03%, and insoluble fibers from 15.97 to 18.87%. The percentage of deamidation in the various samples varied from 17.34 to 57.79% and the in vitro digestibility from 84.45 to 89.11%. Irradiation treatment in the doses applied here did not change the chemical composition or digestibility, but increased the percentage of deamidation of the samples as the dosage increased.
soy; irradiation; chemical composition; protein digestibility; deamidation
