Cowpea is a one important legume crop in Sub-Saharan Africa due to its high content of protein and other nutrients. However, seeds of cowpea varieties are destroyed by Callosobruchus maculatus in storage. This study investigated various biochemical compounds of susceptible and resistant cowpea genotypes, to determine the biochemical compounds underlying cowpea resistance to bruchid. Six cowpea genotypes were analyzed in three replicates. One-way analysis of variance, Pearson correlation and path analysis were used to determine the influence of the biochemical compounds on the cowpea status. Amongst the cowpea genotypes assayed the biochemical compounds analyzed (Vicilin; α-amylase Inhibitor; Phenols; Condensed Tannin; Tannin; Carbohydrate; Flavonoid and Protein), were present in amounts. Resistant genotypes exhibited higher contents of Phenols (22.29 mg/g for WC66*5T and 19.74 mg/g for WC36); Tannin (2.45CEmg/g for WC36 and 2.52CEmg/g for TVU13677); and Carbohydrate (72.82% for TVU13677 and 71.09% for WC36). The most susceptible genotypes had the lowest content of Phenols (13.5 mg/g for TVU946 and 12.72 mg/g for Glessissaffodo); Tannin (0.74CEmg/g for Akounado and 0.97CEmg/g for Glessissaffodo) and Carbohydrate (60.95% for Akounado and 61.39% for TVU946), while Condensed Tannin was associated to their seed coat colour but not to their resistance status against bruchid. The resistant genotypes TVU13677; WC36 and WC66*5T were found to contain a higher amount of a subset of biochemical compounds as defensive compounds against cowpea bruchid. The susceptible cowpea genotypes (Akounado; Glessissaffodo; TVU946) screened for their biochemical content presented low amounts of these defensive compounds. The path analysis implemented highlighted the existence of causal relationships among biochemical compounds analyzed and resistance parameters, thus revealing the resistance basis of cowpea seed biochemical compounds. These latter results point out the possibilities to consider the presence of these biochemical compounds underlying the resistance of cowpea to bruchid in the breeding program toward the resistance to bruchid.

豇豆是撒哈拉以南非洲的一种重要豆类作物，因为其蛋白质和其他营养成分含量高。然而，豇豆品种的种子在储存中会被 Callosobruchus maculatus 破坏。本研究调查了易感和抗性豇豆基因型的各种生化化合物，以确定豇豆对 bruchid 抗性的潜在生化化合物。在三个重复中分析了六个豇豆基因型。使用方差分析、Pearson 相关和路径分析的单向分析来确定生化化合物对豇豆状态的影响。在分析的豇豆基因型中，所分析的生化化合物（Vicilin；α-淀粉酶抑制剂；酚类；缩合单宁；单宁；碳水化合物；类黄酮和蛋白质）以一定量存在。抗性基因型表现出更高的苯酚含量 (22. WC66*5T 为 29 mg/g，WC36 为 19.74 mg/g)；单宁（WC36 为 2.45CEmg/g，TVU13677 为 2.52CEmg/g）；和碳水化合物（TVU13677 为 72.82%，WC36 为 71.09%）。最易感基因型的苯酚含量最低（TVU946 为 13.5 mg/g，Glessissaffodo 为 12.72 mg/g）；单宁（Akounado 为 0.74CEmg/g，Glessissaffodo 为 0.97CEmg/g）和碳水化合物（Akounado 为 60.95%，TVU946 为 61.39%），而浓缩单宁与其种皮颜色有关，但与它们对 bruchid 的抗性状态无关。抗性基因型TVU13677；WC36 和 WC66*5T 被发现含有更多的生化化合物子集，作为对豇豆 bruchid 的防御性化合物。易感豇豆基因型（Akounado；Glessissaffodo；TVU946) 对其生化含量进行了筛选，这些防御性化合物的含量很低。实施的路径分析突出了所分析的生化化合物与抗性参数之间存在因果关系，从而揭示了豇豆种子生化化合物的抗性基础。后面的这些结果指出了在针对 bruchid 抗性的育种计划中考虑这些生化化合物的存在的可能性，这些生物化学化合物是豇豆对 bruchid 抗性的基础。