Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds were thermally treated at 121 degrees C for 120 min, ground to size 0.20 mm and contacted with aq. soln. of bromocresol purple (0.02-0.14 mg/cm(3)) and HCl (0.02-0.12 mol/L) to compare the bromocresol purple (BCPI) sorption on raw and thermally treated seeds. The bromocresol purple-contg. soln. (0.14 mg/cm(3)) with HCl content 0.10 mol/L was found the most sensitive.