Utilization of Koro Benguk (Mucuna pruriens) as a Soybean Alternative in Tempe Production: A Review

This article is written by Daphne Tan, Ridho Valentino Andimi, Ramzani Lutfi Syarifah, Nur Ihza Baharudin, Gregorius Richardo, Arvi Daniswara, Meily Nurhakim, Domas Galih Patria, Angela Nurul Sabila, and Sephia Dyah. 

Background Information

Tempe is known to be Indonesia’s superfood, having a diverse nutritional content with good bioavailability—especially its protein content—to fulfill daily nutritional requirements and provide health benefits (Ahnan-Winarno et al., 2021). It is described as a compact white block of fermented legumes by Rhizopus spp., with soybean being the most common bean for tempe production (Romulo & Surya, 2021). Despite that, its local production is insufficient, covering only 65% of the population’s demand. As such, imports of soybean are inevitable in order to meet the demand (Aldillah, 2015).

In 2021, Indonesia was reported to import a total of 2.5 million tons of soybean from five countries (Sayaka et al., 2021). This heavy reliance on imported soybeans may pose problems in terms of tempe productivity and affordability, especially considering currency fluctuation as well as the scale of Indonesia’s tempe producers that are predominantly done by micro to small industries (Haliza et al., 2016). Due to its expensive cost, a variety of ingredients are eventually used as an alternative of soybean to make tempe, one of them is koro benguk. Usage of koro benguk as an alternative for soybean can be done due to its high productivity, in which at least 3 to 4 tons of koro benguk is produced per hectare, while soybean’s production is 1 to 2 tons per hectare (Rahayu et al., 2019). Moreover, koro benguk is also utilized for its nutritional value that is comparable to soybean in terms of protein content, as well as health benefits. For instance, people who live in Nigeria and India consume koro benguk as it provides anthelmintic and thermogenic properties (Maharani, 2020; Retnaningsih et al., 2013). Overall, this makes koro benguk more available as an alternative protein source in Indonesia with comparable nutritional values to soybean (Amanah, 2019)

Methodology

Microbes Involved

According to Rahayu et al. (2019), the starter culture used in the fermentation of koro benguk tempe is the same as the soybean based tempe, which consists of the genus Rhizopus, specifically Rhizopus oligosporus. These microorganisms, through biochemical processes, transform soybeans into tempe with its unique texture, aroma, and taste.

Production Process

The general steps of producing koro benguk tempe are similar to soybean tempe. Despite that, there are several alterations that should be done, such as the time needed for soaking and fermenting the beans that is longer (refer to Figure 1). 

Product’s Properties

Sensory

Fermentation helps develop the organoleptic properties of koro benguk, producing the desired texture, taste and aroma of its tempe product. It was found that the organoleptic properties of koro benguk tempe was slightly different from soybean tempe. Compared to soybean tempe, koro benguk tempe has a somewhat black color, slightly bitter taste, along with a harder and more brittle texture, which might affect the preference towards the product (Romulo & Surya, 2021). Amanah et al. (2019) stated that koro benguk tempe without any black soybean substitution had the highest hardness level compared to koro benguk tempe that was substituted with black soybeans, because koro benguk itself has a slightly hard texture. However, since there has been no sensory evaluation conducted, the customers’ preference could not be concluded yet. 

Nutritional and Chemical

Analysis results of chemical composition between koro benguk seeds and koro benguk tempe, soybean tempe and requirement of tempe quality in Indonesia (SNI 3144-2015) can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1. Nutritional and chemical composition of koro benguk seeds, koro benguk tempe, soybean tempe and SNI requirement of tempe in 100 g material 

Source: (Badan Standardisasi Nasional, n.d.; Retnaningsih et al., 2013).

Upon fermentation, there are improvements in protein, carbohydrate content, as well as antioxidant activity. Meanwhile, ash, lipid, and crude fiber content are reduced. Additionally, it was discovered that 100 g of koro benguk tempe contains 15 mg of phosphor, 2.6 mg of iron, and 0.09 mg of vitamin B1 (Romulo & Surya, 2021). Hence, koro benguk tempe has a nutritional content that is comparable to soybean tempe, attributed to the fermentation process that improves nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, as well as increasing protein bioavailability (Angelina et al., 2021). In addition, koro benguk tempe has the potential as a functional food ingredient with high bioactive compounds such as antioxidants that could provide anticancer activities (Retnaningsih et al., 2013).

Conclusion

The usage of Koro Benguk (Mucuna pruriens) as an alternative to soybean in tempe production is promising due to its rich nutritional value, functional properties, comparable organoleptic properties, and effectiveness in cultivation. Nevertheless, further research must be conducted, such as production optimization and consumer acceptance, to assess the potential to be widely adopted as the replacement of soybean in tempe production.

Reference List

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Aldillah, R. (2015). Proyeksi produksi dan konsumsi kedelai Indonesia. Jurnal Ekonomi Kuantitatif Terapan, 8(1), 44324.

Amanah, Y. S., Kholifatuddin Sya’di, Y., & Handarsari, E. (2019). Kadar protein dan tekstur pada tempe koro benguk dengan substitusi kedelai hitam protein content and texture from tempe koro benguk substitution with black soybeans. Jurnal Pangan Dan Gizi, 9(02), 119–127.

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Badan Standarisasi Nasional, SNI Tempe Kedelai (SNI 3144-2015).

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Retnaningsih, Ch., Darmono, Widianarko, B., & Fatimah-Muis, S. (2013). Tempe koro benguk (Mucuna pruriens L) dan pengendalian glikemi: Studi pada tikus sprague dawley yang diinduksi streptozotocin. Media Medika Indonesiana, 47(1), 30-36.

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