Six soybean cultivars (Glycine max L. Merrill): IAS-4, EMBRAPA-4, Davis, BR-16, Iguaçu and IAS-5, for human consumption were characterized regarding their proximate composition and amino acid, fatty acids and mineral contents. Significant differences were observed among these varieties concerning their contents of protein, oil and fiber. However, their ash content did not show significant differences. Regarding the mineral composition, the cultivars Iguaçu and EMBRAPA-4 presented, respectively, the highest levels of potassium (1824.02 mg/100 g) and calcium (313.93 mg/100 g). It was observed that the cultivar IAS-5 presented the highest level of unsaturated fatty acids (87.45%), while the cultivar Davis, the lowest one (83.93%). The cultivar EMBRAPA-4 presented the highest level of oleic acid and levels of linoleic and linolenic acids lower than the ones obtained for the other studied cultivars (39.93%, 42.46% and 4.64%, respectively). The results obtained for the other fatty acids levels are in agreement with the ones reported for soybean oil in the literature. All six cultivars studied presented an excellent balance of essential amino acids (EAA). The contents of each EAA were higher than those presented in the reference pattern established by FAO/WHO with the total EAA ranging from 39.5 to 45.0 g/100 g of protein.
Glycine max; chemical characterization; protein; oil; ash
