Current data on the protein quality of lentils and lentil protein ingredients are derived from composite samples, and information related to varietal differences, is lacking. The development of protein extraction and processing techniques will only reach limited success if there is an inconsistency with the starting materials. Genotype-specific information on the protein content, amino acid profile, and protein digestibility and functionality, will benefit the lentil breeding program as it begins to focus on improving the nutritional characteristics of lentil. Food scientists will also be able to capitalize on the nutritional baseline information to make use of lentil ingredients in various food applications to meet nutrient content claims.

This study uses near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) measurements calibrated against the official methods to determine the percent composition on a dry matter basis of protein and various amino acids in ground / whole Lentil samples. The NIRS measured Alanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Cysteine, Glutamic Acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Proline, Serine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Tyrosine, Valine, as well as, crude protein content. The experiment focused on individual samples from the Lentil Diversity Panel to elucidate varietal differences with each sample being specific to a single variety.