Storage Conditions and Length Affect the B Vitamin Profile of Five Different Chickpea Cultivars

ABSTRACT Background and Objectives Limited data exist on the influence of storage conditions on vitamin B concentrations of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.). The effects of different temperatures ( T ) and relative humidities (RHs) on the stability of five B vitamins were evaluated across five chickpea cultivars. Samples were stored for 360 days under four conditions: (1) low temperature, low relative humidity (LTLRH); (2) high temperature, low relative humidity (HTLRH); (3) low temperature, high relative humidity (LTHRH); and (4) high temperature, high relative humidity (HTHRH). Findings Results supported significant ( p ≤ 0.05) reductions in B vitamins for most chickpea cultivars over 360 days. The interaction of T , RH, and storage duration contributed to 4%–80% reductions in B vitamin concentrations, depending on the cultivar and B vitamin. Conclusions The HTHRH conditions led to substantial losses in all five B vitamins, with the greatest reductions observed in the Royal and Crown cultivars. However, LTLRH negatively affected thiamin and riboflavin in all varieties. Significance and Novelty This is the first report of changes in vitamin B concentrations where the combination of storage conditions, length of storage, and multiple cultivars was systematically evaluated. The outcome indicates that storage conditions should be controlled to slow the degradation of vitamin B concentrations.