Nutritional content and antinutrient composition of pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) flour from various regions in Indonesia

¹ Doctoral Program of Agricultural Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia. Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia
² Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia
³ Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A, Kentingan, Surakarta 57126, Indonesia
⁴ Department Home Economics, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Sekaran, Gunungpati, Semarang, 50229, Indonesia.

^* Corresponding author: setyaningrum_ariviani@staff.uns.ac.id

Abstract

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp.) is a nutritionally important legume, but its composition in Indonesia remains underexplored. This study compared proximate composition, antinutrients, and mineral contents of pigeon pea flour sourced from two major producing regions, Sulawesi and East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). Seed samples were collected from local farmers during the 2025 harvest, and composite flour samples were prepared from each region. Composite samples from local farmers were analyzed in triplicate (n=3) for proximate composition, antinutrients, and minerals using standard methods and inferential statistics at p<0.05. Four parameters differed significantly between regions: moisture (NTT 8.80 ± 0.12% > Sulawesi 7.69 ± 0.24%), ash (Sulawesi 4.68 ± 0.15% > NTT 4.13 ± 0.03%), tannin (NTT 105.67 ± 4.08 vs. Sulawesi 73.22 ± 2.45 mg GAE/100 g), and zinc (Zn) (NTT 2.37 ± 0.31 > Sulawesi 1.67 ± 0.12 mg/100 g). Other antinutrients (HCN, oxalate) and minerals (Fe, Ca, K, Mg, S) showed regional trends but were not statistically different. These results establish region-specific compositional contrasts—particularly higher tannin and Zn in NTT and higher ash in Sulawesi—within the Indonesian context. Findings support the optimization of region-based sourcing for micronutrient-rich legume flours in Indonesia.