Assessment of Protein Quality and Nutritional Characteristics of Commonly Consumed Pulses in the Caribbean Diet by Different In Vitro Assays

Pulses, the dried seeds of leguminous plants, form an important part of the diets of many cultures, including Caribbean cuisine, and are a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, and antioxidants while being low in fats. This study examined the effect of a traditional home-cooking method on the nutritional characteristics of pulses commonly consumed in the Caribbean: red kidney beans and cranberry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata L.), and pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan L.). Protein quality, determined via three in vitro protein digestibility methods, starch, and phenolic content were determined in pre- and post-cooked samples using established methods. Pulses contained 20-26% protein, and cooking improved protein digestibility on average by 14.0 ± 2.5% (p < 0.05). However, notable differences in digestibility were observed: it was higher in static assays (pH-Drop and pH-Stat) than in the two-step digestibility assay. Average protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (IVPDCAAS) among cooked pulses was 0.81 ± 0.14, with the highest in cranberry bean (0.82) and cowpea (0.88). Cooking modified pulse starch profiles by increasing total digestible starch. However, resistant starch and slowly digestible starch fractions accounted for approximately 20-25% of total cooked starch content. While total phenolic content (TPC) and antioxidant activity were reduced with cooking, they were within expected ranges for cooked pulse flours; however, they were higher in bean (P. vulgaris) varieties than cowpea and pigeon pea. These findings support the promotion of increased pulse consumption in Caribbean diets. Home cooking is a simple method to enhance pulse protein quality through enhancing digestibility; however, in vitro protein digestibility assays may require further standardization.

In vitro protein digestive properties and peptidomic characterization of five whole component plant protein beverages using a pepsin-pancreatin model

Plant protein has received great attention for its potential nutrition and health benefits. In this study, the digestive properties and peptidomics of whole component plant protein beverages from soybean, chick pea, pea, oat, and quinoa were characterized using an in vitro pepsin-pancreatin digestion model. The study found that quinoa beverage had a higher in vitro protein digestibility (80.49 %), followed by pea, soybean, chick pea, and oat beverage (79.25-70.89 %). Additionally, quinoa and soybean beverage showed comparably higher in vitro digestible indispensable amino acid score (DIAAS) of 81-97, while chick pea and pea beverage had lower in vitro DIAAS of 58-79 due to low concentration of sulfur-containing AA (SAA). Meanwhile, peptides with molecular weight (MW) below 1 kDa occupied more than 93 % of the digested fraction in quinoa beverage, which might result in its higher DPPH scavenging activity, ABTS scavenging activity and ACE inhibitory activity with the IC50 value of 2.80, 0.20 and 0.90 mg/mL, respectively. Peptidomics characterization combined with rapid screening by PeptideRanker and BIOPEP database further suggested that cereals, especially oat and quinoa, released potentially bioactive peptides with a higher percentage (30.89 % and 22.81 %, respectively) compared to legumes like soybean and chick pea (13.30-18.52 %). Additionally, the identified active peptides were more likely to be derived from globular proteins. The methods and data here provided a reference for a better understanding of the digestive properties and nutritional recommendations of whole component plant protein product.

Rice seeds biofortification using biogenic ıron oxide nanoparticles synthesized by using Glycyrrhiza glabra: a study on growth and yield ımprovement

Iron, a crucial micronutrient, is an integral element of biotic vitality. The scarcity of iron in the soil creates agronomic challenges and has a detrimental impact on crop vigour and chlorophyll formation. Utilizing iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) via nanopriming emerges as an innovative method to enhance agricultural efficiency and crop health. The objective of this study was to synthesize biogenic IONPs from Glycyrrhiza glabra (G. glabra) plant extract using green chemistry and to evaluate their nanopriming effects on rice seed iron levels and growth. The synthesized IONPs were analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Scanning electron microscope (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) techniques. The UV-Vis peak at 280 nm revealed the formation of IONPs. SEM and TEM showed that the nanoparticles were spherical and had an average diameter of 23.8 nm. Nanopriming resulted in a substantial enhancement in growth, as seen by a 9.25% and 22.8% increase in shoot lengths for the 50 ppm and 100 ppm treatments, respectively. The yield metrics showed a positive correlation with the concentrations of IONPs. The 1000-grain weight and spike length observed a maximum increase of 193.75% and 97.73%, respectively, at the highest concentration of IONPs. The study indicates that G. glabra synthesized IONPs as a nanopriming agent significantly increased rice seeds' growth and iron content. This suggests that there is a relationship between the dosage of IONPs and their potential for improving agricultural biofortification.

Chickpea: Its Origin, Distribution, Nutrition, Benefits, Breeding, and Symbiotic Relationship with Mesorhizobium Species

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), encompassing the desi and kabuli varieties, is a beloved pulse crop globally. Its cultivation spans over fifty countries, from the Indian subcontinent and southern Europe to the Middle East, North Africa, the Americas, Australia, and China. With a rich composition of carbohydrates and protein, constituting 80% of its dry seed mass, chickpea is also touted for its numerous health benefits, earning it the title of a 'functional food'. In the past two decades, research has extensively explored the rhizobial diversity associated with chickpea and its breeding in various countries across Europe, Asia, and Oceania, aiming to understand its impact on the sustainable yield and quality of chickpea crops. To date, four notable species of Mesorhizobium-M. ciceri, M. mediterraneum, M. muleiense, and M. wenxiniae-have been reported, originally isolated from chickpea root nodules. Other species, such as M. amorphae, M. loti, M. tianshanense, M. oportunistum, M. abyssinicae, and M. shonense, have been identified as potential symbionts of chickpea, possibly acquiring symbiotic genes through lateral gene transfer. While M. ciceri and M. mediterraneum are widely distributed and studied across chickpea-growing regions, they remain absent in China, where M. muleiense and M. wenxiniae are the sole rhizobial species associated with chickpea. The geographic distribution of chickpea rhizobia is believed to be influenced by factors such as genetic characteristics, competitiveness, evolutionary adaptation to local soil conditions, and compatibility with native soil microbes. Inoculating chickpea with suitable rhizobial strains is crucial when introducing the crop to new regions lacking indigenous chickpea rhizobia. The introduction of a novel chickpea variety, coupled with the effective use of rhizobia for inoculation, offers the potential not only to boost the yield and seed quality of chickpeas, but also to enhance crop productivity within rotation and intercropped systems involving chickpea and other crops. Consequently, this advancement holds the promise to drive forward the cause of sustainable agriculture on a global scale.

Development of an Agrobacterium-delivered codon-optimized CRISPR/Cas9 system for chickpea genome editing

Chickpea is considered recalcitrant to in vitro tissue culture amongst all edible legumes. The clustered, regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (CRISPR/Cas9)-based genome editing in chickpea can remove the bottleneck of limited genetic variation in this cash crop, which is rich in nutrients and protein. However, generating stable mutant lines using CRISPR/Cas9 requires efficient and highly reproducible transformation protocols. As an attempt to solve this problem, we developed a modified and optimized protocol for chickpea transformation. This study transformed the single cotyledon half-embryo explants using CaMV35S promoter to drive two marker genes (β-glucuronidase gene; GUS and green fluorescent protein; GFP) through binary vectors pBI101.2 and modified pGWB2, respectively. These vectors were delivered in the explants through three different strains of Agrobacterium tumefaciens, viz., GV3101, EHA105, and LBA4404. We found better efficiency with the strain GV3101 (17.56%) compared with two other strains, i.e., 8.54 and 5.43%, respectively. We recorded better regeneration frequencies in plant tissue culture for the constructs GUS and GFP, i.e., 20.54% and 18.09%, respectively. The GV3101 was further used for the transformation of the genome editing construct. For the development of genome-edited plants, we used this modified protocol. We also used a modified binary vector pPZP200 by introducing a CaMV35S-driven chickpea codon-optimized SpCas9 gene. The promoter of the Medicago truncatula U6.1 snRNA gene was used to drive the guide RNA cassettes. This cassette targeted and edited the chickpea phytoene desaturase (CaPDS) gene. A single gRNA was found sufficient to achieve high efficiency (42%) editing with the generation of PDS mutants with albino phenotypes. A simple, rapid, highly reproducible, stable transformation and CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing system for chickpea was established. This study aimed to demonstrate this system's applicability by performing a gene knockout of the chickpea PDS gene using an improved chickpea transformation protocol for the first time.

Milling and differential sieving to diversify flour functionality: A comparison between pulses and cereals

In this study, pulse (pea, lentil) and cereal (barley, oats) seeds were firstly milled into whole flours, which were then sieved into coarse and fine flours. The particle sizes of the three generated flour streams followed a descending order of coarse > whole > fine, consistent with the observation under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Among the four crops, the three flour streams showed the same rank order of fine > whole > coarse in starch and damaged-starch contents but the opposite order in ash and total dietary fiber contents. Thus, those functional properties closely related to starch occurring in flour, such as L* (brightness), starch gelatinization enthalpy change (ΔH), and gel hardness, followed the same order of fine > whole > coarse. By contrast, protein contents of the three flour streams did not vary in pea and lentil but showed a trend of coarse > whole > fine in barley and oats, which could partially explain generally comparable foaming and emulsifying properties of the three streams of pulse flours as well as an order of coarse > whole > fine in oil-binding capacity (OBC) of cereal flours, respectively. The different particle sizes and chemical compositions of the three flour streams only resulted in a descending order of fine > whole > coarse in the pasting viscosities of the pulse flours but did not lead to such a clear trend in the cereal flours, which could be partly attributable to the different microscopic structures of the pulse and cereal seeds and their corresponding flours. This research clearly demonstrated that particle size, chemical composition, and microscopic structure were important variables determining the specific techno-functional properties of pulse and cereal flours.

Evaluation of nutrients and organoleptic value of novel value added multibran cookies using multivariate approach

Cereal and legume flours are intensively being used by food experts to formulate cookies. But their byproducts are discarded in spite of being nutrient rich. The study was conducted to determine nutrients, organoleptic properties and shelf-life of highly nutritive multibran cookies formulated with partial replacement of wheat flour along with the milling byproducts i.e., chickpea husk, moong bean husk, rice bran, broken rice, and wheat bran. The percentages of the byproduct flour, taken for the formulation of the product, was determined using central composite design of response surface methodology. According to the obtained data, Multi-bran cookies (MBC) possessed rich nutrient composition in comparison with the control sample i.e., the wheat flour cookies (WFC). MBC showed 18% crude protein, 5% crude fiber, higher than the crude protein (7.78%) and crude fiber (2%) of WFC. However, total sugar concentrations of MBC (3.08 g/100 g) was lower than WFC (4.89 g/100 g). Calcium and phosphorus present in MBC were 115.06 mg/100 g and 195.88 mg/100 g respectively, significantly higher (p < 0.05) than WFC. The overall acceptability of MBC as indicated by 9-point hedonic scale (8.13) was satisfactory. On the basis of the obtained data it can be said that the selected milling byproducts can be used as potential plant-based sources to develop significant functional products like cookies without affecting its sensory quality and to improve nutritional status of consumer.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-022-05559-1.

Genome-wide association mapping of seed oligosaccharides in chickpea

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the major pulse crops, rich in protein, and widely consumed all over the world. Most legumes, including chickpeas, possess noticeable amounts of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) in their seeds. RFOs are seed oligosaccharides abundant in nature, which are non-digestible by humans and animals and cause flatulence and severe abdominal discomforts. So, this study aims to identify genetic factors associated with seed oligosaccharides in chickpea using the mini-core panel. We have quantified the RFOs (raffinose and stachyose), ciceritol, and sucrose contents in chickpea using high-performance liquid chromatography. A wide range of variations for the seed oligosaccharides was observed between the accessions: 0.16 to 15.13 mg g^-1 raffinose, 2.77 to 59.43 mg g^-1 stachyose, 4.36 to 90.65 mg g^-1 ciceritol, and 3.57 to 54.12 mg g^-1 for sucrose. Kabuli types showed desirable sugar profiles with high sucrose, whereas desi types had high concentrations RFOs. In total, 48 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified for all the targeted sugar types, and nine genes (Ca_06204, Ca_04353, and Ca_20828: Phosphatidylinositol N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase; Ca_17399 and Ca_22050: Remorin proteins; Ca_11152: Protein-serine/threonine phosphatase; Ca_10185, Ca_14209, and Ca_27229: UDP-glucose dehydrogenase) were identified as potential candidate genes for sugar metabolism and transport in chickpea. The accessions with low RFOs and high sucrose contents may be utilized in breeding specialty chickpeas. The identified candidate genes could be exploited in marker-assisted breeding, genomic selection, and genetic engineering to improve the sugar profiles in legumes and other crop species.

Ameliorative effects of chickpea flavonoids on redox imbalance and mitochondrial complex I dysfunction in type 2 diabetic rats

Chickpeas are an important source of flavonoids in the human diet, and researchers have demonstrated that flavonoids have antidiabetic compositions in chickpeas. Because the NAD⁺/NADH redox balance is heavily perturbed in diabetes and complex I is the only site for NADH oxidation and NAD⁺ regeneration, in the present study, mitochondrial complex I was used as a target for anti-diabetes. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a crude chickpea flavonoid extract (CCFE) on NAD⁺/NADH redox imbalance and mitochondrial complex I dysfunction in the pancreas as well as oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) rats. Our results demonstrated that the degree of NAD⁺/NADH redox imbalance in the pancreas of T2DM rats was alleviated by CCFE, which is likely attributed to the inhibition of the polyol pathway and the decrease in poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) and sirtuin 3 (Sirt3) activities. Moreover, mitochondrial complex I dysfunction in the pancreas of T2DM rats was ameliorated by CCFE through the suppression of the activity of complex I. Furthermore, CCFE treatment could attenuate oxidative stress in T2DM rats, which was proven by the reduction in hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and malondialdehyde (MDA) as well as the upregulation of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) in serum. CCFE treatment significantly improved dyslipidemia in T2DM rats.

Exploring Chickpea Germplasm Diversity for Broadening the Genetic Base Utilizing Genomic Resourses

Legume crops provide significant nutrition to humans as a source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids as well as specific macro and micronutrients. Additionally, legumes improve the cropping environment by replenishing the soil nitrogen content. Chickpeas are the second most significant staple legume food crop worldwide behind dry bean which contains 17%–24% protein, 41%–51% carbohydrate, and other important essential minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, folate, β-carotene, anti-oxidants, micronutrients (phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc) as well as linoleic and oleic unsaturated fatty acids. Despite these advantages, legumes are far behind cereals in terms of genetic improvement mainly due to far less effort, the bottlenecks of the narrow genetic base, and several biotic and abiotic factors in the scenario of changing climatic conditions. Measures are now called for beyond conventional breeding practices to strategically broadening of narrow genetic base utilizing chickpea wild relatives and improvement of cultivars through advanced breeding approaches with a focus on high yield productivity, biotic and abiotic stresses including climate resilience, and enhanced nutritional values. Desirable donors having such multiple traits have been identified using core and mini core collections from the cultivated gene pool and wild relatives of Chickpea. Several methods have been developed to address cross-species fertilization obstacles and to aid in inter-specific hybridization and introgression of the target gene sequences from wild Cicer species. Additionally, recent advances in “Omics” sciences along with high-throughput and precise phenotyping tools have made it easier to identify genes that regulate traits of interest. Next-generation sequencing technologies, whole-genome sequencing, transcriptomics, and differential genes expression profiling along with a plethora of novel techniques like single nucleotide polymorphism exploiting high-density genotyping by sequencing assays, simple sequence repeat markers, diversity array technology platform, and whole-genome re-sequencing technique led to the identification and development of QTLs and high-density trait mapping of the global chickpea germplasm. These altogether have helped in broadening the narrow genetic base of chickpeas.

Emerging sources and applications of alternative proteins: An introduction

Food protein is an essential macronutrient. Even though daily per capita supply of protein has increased globally from 61g in 1961 to 81g in 2013, and most people in the developed world have sufficient protein intake from their diets, however, protein deficiencies continue to be pervasive globally. Protein deficiency is the single major factor responsible for impaired growth and suboptimal health worldwide. Animal proteins are high quality and contain adequate and balanced amino acids, animal protein production however is inefficient and resource intensive. Alternative proteins are expected to provide the solution to meet the growing protein demand within the environmental limits. Alternative proteins include proteins from plants (i.e., grains, legumes, pulse, and nuts), fungus (i.e., mushrooms), algae, insects and cultured (lab-grown) meat that can be used to replace conventional animal proteins. Major concerns for human consumption of alternative proteins are inferior organoleptic properties, consumer acceptability, affordability, and sustainability. There is a need to develop culturally diversified alternative proteins to mitigate global protein malnutrition. Food proteins are also found applications in biomaterials and as a source of bioactive peptides.

Nutritional and Food Composition Survey of Major Pulses Toward Healthy, Sustainable, and Biofortified Diets

The world's food demand is increasing rapidly due to fast population growth that has posed a challenge to meeting the requirements of nutritionally balanced diets. Pulses could play a major role in the human diet to combat these challenges and provide nutritional and physiological benefits. Pulses such as chickpeas, green gram, peas, horse gram, beans, lentils, black gram, etc., are rich sources of protein (190–260 g kg−1), carbohydrates (600–630 g kg−1), dietary fibers, and bioactive compounds. There are many health benefits of phytochemicals present in pulses, like flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, phytates, saponins, lectins, oxalates, phytosterols peptides, and enzyme inhibitors. Some of them have anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerative, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer effects. Along with these, pulses are also rich in vitamins and minerals. In this review, we highlight the potential role of pulses in global food systems and diets, their nutritional value, health benefits, and prospects for biofortification of major pulses. The food composition databases with respect to pulses, effect of processing techniques, and approaches for improvement of nutritional profile of pulses are elaborated.

Health Benefits of Cereal Grain- and Pulse-Derived Proteins

Pulses and whole grains are considered staple foods that provide a significant amount of calories, fibre and protein, making them key food sources in a nutritionally balanced diet. Additionally, pulses and whole grains contain many bioactive compounds such as dietary fibre, resistant starch, phenolic compounds and mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids that are known to combat chronic disease. Notably, recent research has demonstrated that protein derived from pulse and whole grain sources contains bioactive peptides that also possess disease-fighting properties. Mechanisms of action include inhibition or alteration of enzyme activities, vasodilatation, modulation of lipid metabolism and gut microbiome and oxidative stress reduction. Consumer demand for plant-based proteins has skyrocketed primarily based on the perceived health benefits and lower carbon footprint of consuming foods from plant sources versus animal. Therefore, more research should be invested in discovering the health-promoting effects that pulse and whole grain proteins have to offer.

Nutritional Composition and In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Crackers Supplemented with Faba Bean Whole Flour, Starch Concentrate, Protein Concentrate and Protein Isolate

The nutritional quality of common wheat-based foods can be improved by adding flours from whole pulses or their carbohydrate and protein constituents. Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is a pulse with high protein concentration. In this study, prepared faba bean (FB) flours were added to wheat based baked crackers. Wheat cracker recipes were modified by substituting forty percent wheat flour with flours from whole faba bean, starch enriched flour (starch 60%), protein concentrate (protein 60%) or protein isolate (protein 90%). Baked crackers were ground into meal and analyzed for their macronutrient composition, starch characteristics and in vitro starch hydrolysis. Faba bean supplemented crackers had lower (p ≤ 0.001) total starch concentrations, but proportionally higher protein (16.8-43%), dietary fiber (6.7-12.1%), fat (4.8-7.1%) and resistant starch (3.2-6%) (p ≤ 0.001) than wheat crackers (protein: 16.2%, dietary fiber: 6.3%, fat: 4.2, resistant starch: 1.2%). The increased amylose, amylopectin B1- chain and fat concentration from faba bean flour and starch flour supplementation in cracker recipe contributed to increased resistant starch. Flours from whole faba bean, starch or protein fractions improved the nutritional properties and functional value of the wheat-based crackers. The analytical analysis describing protein, starch composition and structure and in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis advance understanding of factors that account for the in vivo benefits of faba bean flours added to crackers in human physiological functions as also previously shown for pasta. The findings can be used to guide development of improve nutritional quality of similar wheat-based food products.

Identification of drought tolerant Chickpea genotypes through multi trait stability index

Drought is a major and constantly increasing abiotic stress factor, thus limiting chickpea production. Like other crops, Kabuli Chickpea genotypes are screened for drought stress through Multi-environment trials (METs). Although, METs analysis is generally executed taking into account only one trait, which provides less significant reliability for the recommendation of genotypes as compared to multi trait-based analysis. Multi trait-based analysis could be used to recommend genotypes across diverse environments. Hence, current research was conducted for selection of superior genotypes through multi-trait stability index (MTSI) by using mixed and fixed effect models under six diverse environments. The genotypic stability was computed for all traits individually using the weighted average of absolute scores from the singular value decomposition of the matrix of best linear unbiased predictions for the genotype vs environment interaction (GEI) effects produced by a linear mixed-effect model index. A superiority index, WAASBY was measured to reflect the MPS (Mean performance and stability). The selection differential for the WAASBY index was 11.2%, 18.49% and 23.30% for grain yield (GY), primary branches per plant (PBP) and Stomatal Conductance (STOMA) respectively. Positive selection differential (0.80% ≤ selection differential ≤ 13.00%) were examined for traits averaged desired to be increased and negative (-0.57% ≤ selection differential ≤ -0.23%) for those traits desired to be reduced. The MTSI may be valuable to the plant breeders for the selection of genotypes based on many characters as being strong and simple selection process. Analysis of MTSI for multiple environments revealed that, the genotypes G20, G86, G31, G28, G116, G12, G105, G45, G50, G10, G30, G117, G81, G48, G85, G17, G32, G4, and G37 were the most stable and high yielding out of 120 chickpea genotypes, probably due to high MPS of selected traits under various environments. It is concluded that identified traits can be utilized as genitors in hybridization programs for the development of drought tolerant Kabuli Chickpea breeding material.

Elucidation of the low resistant starch phenotype in Phaseolus vulgaris exhibited in the yellow bean Cebo Cela

Dry beans(Phaseolus vulgaris) are rich in complex carbohydrates including resistant starch (RS). RS, the starch fraction that escapes digestion, typically ranges from 35% in raw beans to 4% in cooked beans. A low RS bean genotype, Cebo Cela, was identified with 96% less RS (1.5% RS) than normal raw beans. The goal of this research was to elucidate the factors responsible for this low RS phenotype. The low RS phenotype was evaluated in whole bean flour and starch in Cebo Cela (yellow), Canario (yellow), Alpena (navy) and Samurai (otebo). α-Amylase activation was found to be a major contributor of the low RS content phenotype of the whole bean flour for Cebo Cela (-21.9% inhibition). Total starch (43.6%-40.2%), amylose (31.0%-31.5%), molecular weight and chain length distributions of amylose and amylopectin did not contribute to the low RS phenotype. Yellow bean starches were digested nearly 1.5 times (95%-94%) faster than starch granules from otebo and navy beans (65%-73%) due to lower proportions of amylopectin chains. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study is of value to the food industry because the yellow bean, Cebo Cela, is easily hydrolyzed by α-amylase and also has α-amylase promotion properties. Therefore, Cebo Cela can be used as an alternate starch source for ethanol fermentation and for the production of maltodextrins and fructose/glucose syrups which are used as food thickeners and sweeteners.

Influence of Lactic Acid Bacteria Fermentation on Physicochemical Properties and Antioxidant Activity of Chickpea Yam Milk

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of lactic acid bacteria fermentation on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of chickpea yam milk. Four groups of chickpea milk were prepared through fermentation with lactic acid bacteria for quality and functionality improvement. Results indicate that the polysaccharide content of four samples declines during the fermentation process, and their infrared spectrums are similar with a slight difference in the transmittances of some characteristic bands. The sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profiles of four samples with 24 h fermentation showed a band disappearance in the range of 94.3 KDa and generation of many small-molecule peptides, revealing the protein degradation during fermentation. The moderate enzymatic hydrolysis had no adverse effect on the texture and color of the samples. A substantial increase in DPPH, ABTS radical scavenging rates, and FRAP value was observed after 12 h fermentation, especially the CPBY sample. The present results indicate that lactic acid bacteria fermentation can be used to improve the physicochemical properties of samples and enhance their antioxidant activity.

Effects of heat-moisture treatment on the thermal, functional properties and composition of cereal, legume and tuber starches-a review

Several methods are currently employed in the modification of starch obtained from different botanical sources. Starch in its native form is limited in application due to retrogradation, syneresis, inability to withstand shear stress as well as its unstable nature at varying temperatures and pH environment. Modification of starch is therefore needed to enhance its food and industrial application. A primary and safe means of modifying starch for food and industrial use is through hydrothermal methods which involves heat-moisture treatment and annealing. Heat-moisture treatment (HMT) is a physical modification technique that improves the functional and physicochemical properties of starch without changing its molecular composition. Upon modification through HMT, starches from cereals, legumes and tuber crops serve as important ingredients in diverse food, pharmaceutical and industrial processes. Although changes in starch initiated by HMT have been studied in starches of different plant origin, this work further provides insight on the composition, thermal and functional properties of heat-moisture treated starch obtained from cereals, legumes and tuber crops.

Biochemical characterization for determination of genetic distances among different indigenous chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) varieties of North-West Pakistan

Genetic distances among different chickpea varieties and evaluation of their free amino acid profiles were determined on the basis of Sodium dodecyle sulphate polyacrylamide gels electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Total soluble proteins were resolved on 10% SDS Polyacrylamide gel. Low variability in tested varieties was observed. Dendogram based on electrophoretic data clustered the genotypes into 2 groups. The results showed that the average protein content of all the varieties was 26.01% within the range 22.8% for Thal-2006 to 34.06% Sheenghar-2000 of dry seed weight. On the basis of total protein content Bittal-98, Dasht and Sheen Ghar-2000, Karak-3 and CM-98, Paidar -91 and Fakhr-e-Thal, C-44, Balaksar and KK-1showed similar concentrations for protein contents among each other but showed variation from the rest of the varieties. Different proteins were separated on the basis of changes in their molecular weights by means of Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Dasht, CM-98, and Sheen Ghar showed 100% similarity. Balaksar and Fakhr-e- Thal, KK-2 and Chattan and KC-98, KK-1 and Lawaghar were 100% similar among each other but showed variation from the rest of the accessions. The overall dendrogram showed high and low level of variation among the accessions. The concentration of free amino acids varied among the 16 chickpea varieties. A significant difference of both essential and non-essential amino acids was found among the chickpea cultivars. The total concentration of essential amino acid was recorded 40.81 g/100 g protein while non-essential was recorded 59.18343 g/100 g protein in the given cultivars. The highest concentration of essential amino acids was found in C-44 followed by KK-2, KK-1 and Fakhr E Tal while the lowest concentration was recorded in Cm-98, Paidar-91 and Sheen Ghar-2000 respectively. Cultivars TAL-2006, Chattan and Karak-3 showed maximum concentration of both essential and endogenous amino acids. In conclusion; for broadening the genetic pools in breeding programs or to search for exotic characters, for instance new disease resistance alleles, accession with low similarity coefficients (Lawaghar and Battal-98) may be utilized. Furthermore the information acquired from this study could be used to device a proficient breeding approach intended at improving nutritional as well as broadening the genetic base of this essential food crop of Pakistan.

Obesity, Insulin Resistance, and Hyperandrogenism Mediate the Link between Poor Diet Quality and Ovarian Dysmorphology in Reproductive-Aged Women

The relationship between diet quality and ovarian morphology has biological plausibility yet remains unclear and was therefore evaluated. In a multicenter cross-sectional analysis, four dietary patterns were scored for 111 consecutive reproductive-aged women (18-45 years) using (1) Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015); (2) alternative HEI-2010; (3) alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED); (4) and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) indices. Ovarian volume (OV) and follicle number per ovary (FNPO) were evaluated on transvaginal ultrasonography. Relationships between dietary and ovarian morphology indices were evaluated by linear regression and mediation analyses. Associations between aMED and DASH scores and OV/FNPO were completely mediated by obesity, insulin resistance, and hyperandrogenism (All: p < 0.05), unlike direct associations (All: p ≥ 0.89). Namely, a 1-standard deviation [SD] increase in aMED score was associated with decreases in OV (0.09 SD; 0.4 mL) through reducing waist circumference. Likewise, a 1 SD increase in aMED and DASH score was associated with decreases in OV (0.07 SD; 0.3 mL) by reducing glucose response to a 75 g glucose tolerance test. A 1 SD increase in DASH score was associated with decreased FNPO (0.07 SD; 2 follicles) by reducing free androgen index (All: p < 0.05). Adherence to aMED and DASH eating plans was indirectly associated with significant improvements in ovarian form, providing novel mechanistic insights for future interventions about contributions of diet quality on ovarian function.

Utilization of pulse protein-xanthan gum complexes for foam stabilization: The effect of protein concentrate and isolate at various pH

The present study examines the foaming behavior of pea and faba bean protein concentrates and isolates and explores the impact of pH and protein-polysaccharide complexation on overrun and foam stability. Foams were prepared with 5 wt% proteins with and without 0.25 wt% xanthan gum (XG) at pH 3, 5, 7 and 9. Most foams were unstable without XG. With XG foaming properties of protein concentrates were better than isolates. Irrespective of protein type and content, all protein-XG foams at pH 3 destabilized due to large insoluble complexes, however, at pH 5 foams were stable due to smaller size of insoluble complexes. Both the protein concentrate-XG foams were stable at pH 7 and 9 due to optimum viscosity and surface tension of the soluble complexes. Overall, the study revealed that the overrun and stability of pulse protein foams can be significantly improved by adding XG and controlling their intermolecular interactions as a function of pH.

Insight Into the Prospects for the Improvement of Seed Starch in Legume-A Review

In addition to proteins and/or oils, mature seeds of most legume crops contain important carbohydrate components, including starches and sugars. Starch is also an essential nutritional component of human and animal diets and has various food and non-food industrial applications. Starch is a primary insoluble polymeric carbohydrate produced by higher plants and consists of amylose and amylopectin as a major fraction. Legume seeds are an affordable source of not only protein but also the starch, which has an advantage of being resistant starch compared with cereal, root, and tuber starch. For these reasons, legume seeds form a good source of resistant starch-rich healthy food with a high protein content and can be utilized in various food applications. The genetics and molecular details of starch and other carbohydrate components are well studied in cereal crops but have received little attention in legumes. In order to improve legume starch content, quality, and quantity, it is necessary to understand the genetic and molecular factors regulating carbohydrate metabolism in legume crops. In this review, we assessed the current literature reporting the genetic and molecular basis of legume carbohydrate components, primarily focused on seed starch content. We provided an overview of starch biosynthesis in the heterotrophic organs, the chemical composition of major consumable legumes, the factors influencing starch digestibility, and advances in the genetic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic studies in important legume crops. Further, we discussed breeding and biotechnological approaches for the improvement of the starch composition in major legume crops. The information reviewed in this study will be helpful in facilitating the food and non-food applications of legume starch and provide economic benefits to farmers and industries.

Using Pulses in Baked Products: Lights, Shadows, and Potential Solutions

Nowadays, consumers are more conscious of the environmental and nutritional benefits of foods. Pulses-thanks to both nutritional and health-promoting features, together with their low environmental impact-satisfy the demand for high-protein/high-fiber products. However, their consumption is still somewhat limited in Western countries, due to the presence of antinutrient compounds including phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, and some undigested oligosaccharides, which are responsible for digestive discomfort. Another limitation of eating pulses regularly is their relatively long preparation time. One way to increase the consumption of pulses is to use them as an ingredient in food formulations, such as bread and other baked products. However, some sensory and technological issues limit the use of pulses on an industrial scale; consequently, they require special attention when combined with cereal-based products. Developing formulations and/or processes to improve pulse quality is necessary to enhance their incorporation into baked products. In this context, this study provides an overview of strengths and weaknesses of pulse-enriched baked products focusing on the various strategies-such as the choice of suitable ingredients or (bio)-technological approaches-that counteract the negative effects of including pulses in baked goods.

A Comparison of a Pulse-Based Diet and the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet in Combination with Exercise and Health Counselling on the Cardio-Metabolic Risk Profile in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Randomized Controlled Trial

We compared the effects of a low-glycemic index pulse-based diet, containing lentils, beans, split peas, and chickpeas, to the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) diet on cardio-metabolic measures in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Ninety-five women (18⁻35 years) enrolled in a 16-week intervention; 30 women in the pulse-based and 31 in the TLC groups completed the study. Women participated in aerobic exercise training (minimum 5 days/week for 45 min/day) and were counselled (monthly) about PCOS and lifestyle modification. Women underwent longitudinal follow-up post-intervention. The pulse-based group had a greater reduction in total area under the curve for insulin response to a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test (mean change ± SD: -121.0 ± 229.9 vs. -27.4 ± 110.2 µIU/mL × min; p = 0.05); diastolic blood pressure (-3.6 ± 6.7 vs. -0.2 ± 6.7 mmHg, p = 0.05); triglyceride (-0.2 ± 0.6 vs. 0.0 ± 0.5 mmol/L, p = 0.04); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (-0.2 ± 0.4 vs. -0.1 ± 0.4 mmol/L, p = 0.05); total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TC/HDL-C; -0.4 ± 0.4 vs. 0.1 ± 0.4, p < 0.001); and a greater increase in HDL-C (0.1 ± 0.2 vs. -0.1 ± 0.2 mmol/L, p < 0.01) than the TLC group. Decreased TC/HDL-C (p = 0.02) at six-month and increased HDL-C and decreased TC/HDL-C (p ≤ 0.02) at 12-month post-intervention were maintained in the pulse-based group. A pulse-based diet may be more effective than the TLC diet at improving cardio-metabolic disease risk factors in women with PCOS.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

CinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT01288638.

Chickpea supplementation prior to colitis onset reduces inflammation in dextran sodium sulfate-treated C57Bl/6 male mice

The potential for a chickpea-supplemented diet (rich in fermentable nondigestible carbohydrates and phenolic compounds) to modify the colonic microenvironment and attenuate the severity of acute colonic inflammation was investigated. C57Bl/6 male mice were fed a control basal diet or basal diet supplemented with 20% cooked chickpea flour for 3 weeks prior to acute colitis onset induced by 7-day exposure to dextran sodium sulfate (DSS; 2% w/v in drinking water) and colon and serum levels of inflammatory mediators were assessed. Despite an equal degree of DSS-induced epithelial barrier histological damage and clinical symptoms between dietary groups, biomarkers of the ensuing inflammatory response were attenuated by chickpea pre-feeding, including reduced colon tissue activation of nuclear factor kappa B and inflammatory cytokine production (tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin (IL)-18). Additionally, colon protein expression of anti-inflammatory (IL-10) and epithelial repair (IL-22 and IL-27) cytokines were increased by chickpea pre-feeding. Furthermore, during acute colitis, chickpea pre-feeding increased markers of enhanced colonic function, including Relmβ and IgA gene expression. Collectively, chickpea pre-feeding modulated the baseline function of the colonic microenvironment, whereby upon induction of acute colitis, the severity of the inflammatory response was attenuated.

Association mapping of starch chain length distribution and amylose content in pea (Pisum sativum L.) using carbohydrate metabolism candidate genes

BACKGROUND

Although starch consists of large macromolecules composed of glucose units linked by α-1,4-glycosidic linkages with α-1,6-glycosidic branchpoints, variation in starch structural and functional properties is found both within and between species. Interest in starch genetics is based on the importance of starch in food and industrial processes, with the potential of genetics to provide novel starches. The starch metabolic pathway is complex but has been characterized in diverse plant species, including pea.

RESULTS

To understand how allelic variation in the pea starch metabolic pathway affects starch structure and percent amylose, partial sequences of 25 candidate genes were characterized for polymorphisms using a panel of 92 diverse pea lines. Variation in the percent amylose composition of extracted seed starch and (amylopectin) chain length distribution, one measure of starch structure, were characterized for these lines. Association mapping was undertaken to identify polymorphisms associated with the variation in starch chain length distribution and percent amylose, using a mixed linear model that incorporated population structure and kinship. Associations were found for polymorphisms in seven candidate genes plus Mendel's r locus (which conditions the round versus wrinkled seed phenotype). The genes with associated polymorphisms are involved in the substrate supply, chain elongation and branching stages of the pea carbohydrate and starch metabolic pathways.

CONCLUSIONS

The association of polymorphisms in carbohydrate and starch metabolic genes with variation in amylopectin chain length distribution and percent amylose may help to guide manipulation of pea seed starch structural and functional properties through plant breeding.

Can pulses play a role in improving cardiometabolic health? Evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses

Obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (CVD) present important unmet prevention and treatment challenges. Dietary pulses are sustainable, affordable, and nutrient-dense foods that have shown a wide range of health benefits in the prevention and management of these conditions. Despite these findings, recommendations for pulse intake continue to vary across chronic disease guidelines, and intake levels continue to remain low. Here, we summarize findings from recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses assessing the relationship between dietary pulse consumption and cardiometabolic health and assess the overall strength of the evidence using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation tool. We conclude that systematic reviews and meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies assessing the relationship between legumes and the risk of coronary heart disease appear to provide moderate-quality evidence of a benefit, and several systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials assessing the effect of pulses on cardiometabolic risk factors provide low- to moderate-quality evidence of a benefit. There remains an urgent need, however, for more high-quality prospective cohort studies and large, high-quality, randomized trials to clarify the benefits of dietary pulses in the prevention and management of overweight/obesity, diabetes, and CVD.

Differential expression of two galactinol synthase isoforms LcGolS1 and LcGolS2 in developing lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. cv CDC Redberry) seeds

Galactinol synthase (GS, EC 2.4.1.123) catalyzes the transfer of a galactosyl residue from UDP-galactose to myo-inositol to synthesize galactinol, a precursor for raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) biosynthesis. Screening, a cDNA library constructed with RNA isolated from developing lentil seeds, with partial GS genes resulted in identification of cDNA clones for two isoforms of GS, LcGolS1 (1336 bp, ORF-1002 bp, 334 amino acids) and LcGolS2 (1324bp, ORF-975bp, 325 amino acids) with predicted molecular weights of 38.7 kDa and 37.6 kDa, respectively. During lentil seed development, LcGolS1 transcripts showed higher accumulation during 26-32 days after flowering (DAF) corresponding to seed desiccation, while LcGolS2 showed maximum accumulation at 24 DAF, prior to increase in LcGolS1 transcripts. GS enzyme activity was maximum at 26 and 28 DAF and corresponded to galactinol accumulation, which also increased rapidly at 22 DAF with maximum accumulation at 26 DAF. Substrates for GS activity, myo-inositol and glucose/galactose were present in high concentrations during early stages of seed development but gradually decreased from 20 DAF to 32 DAF when galactinol concentration increased coinciding with increased GS enzyme activity.

Isolation of antioxidant phytoconstituents from the seeds of Lens culinaris Medik

Lens culinaris Medik (Leguminosae) is an annual, bushy and herbaceous plant cultivated globally for its edible seeds. A methanolic extract of the seeds contained four new antioxidant compounds, namely β-sitosteryl-3-(2'-n-eicosanyloxy)-benzoate (3), n-octadec-9-enoyl-1-β-D-glucurano-pyranoside (4) α-D-galactopyranosyl-(6 → 1')-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(6' → 1″)-α-D-galactopyranosyl-(6″ → 1‴)-α-d-galactopyranoside (5) and benzoyl-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(2a → 1b)-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(2b → 1c)-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(6c → 1d)-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-(6d → 1e)-O-α-D-gluco-pyranoside (6) along with two known compounds n-heptadecanyl n-octadec-9-enoate (1) and β-sitosterol (2) on the basis of chromatographic and spectral data analytical techniques. Compound 3 showed significant antioxidant activity compared to compounds 4, 5, and 6.

Differences between easy- and difficult-to-mill chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes. Part I: broad chemical composition

BACKGROUND

Ease of milling is an important quality trait for chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) and involves two separate processes: removal of the seed coat and splitting of cotyledons. Four chickpea genotypes (two desi types, one kabuli type and one interspecific hybrid with 'wild' C. echinospermum parentage) of differing ease of milling were examined to identify associated seed composition differences in the seed coat, cotyledons and their junctions (abaxial and adaxial).

RESULTS

Several components in different fractions were associated with ease of milling chickpea seeds: primarily soluble and insoluble non-starch polysaccharides (including pectins) and protein at the seed coat and cotyledon junctions, and the lignin content of the seed coat.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that the chemical composition of chickpea does vary with seed type (desi and kabuli) and within desi genotypes in ways that are consistent with physical explanations of how seed structure and properties relate to milling behaviour.

Nutritional Profile and Carbohydrate Characterization of Spray-Dried Lentil, Pea and Chickpea Ingredients

Although many consumers know that pulses are nutritious, long preparation times are frequently a barrier to consumption of lentils, dried peas and chickpeas. Therefore, a product has been developed which can be used as an ingredient in a wide variety of dishes without presoaking or precooking. Dried green peas, chickpeas or lentils were soaked, cooked, homogenized and spray-dried. Proximate analyses were conducted on the pulse powders and compared to an instant mashed potato product. Because the health benefits of pulses may be due in part to their carbohydrate content, a detailed carbohydrate analysis was carried out on the pulse powders. Pulse powders were higher in protein and total dietary fibre and lower in starch than potato flakes. After processing, the pulse powders maintained appreciable amounts of resistant starch (4.4%–5.2%). Total dietary fibre was higher in chickpeas and peas (26.2% and 27.1% respectively) than lentils (21.9%), whereas lentils had the highest protein content (22.7%). Pulse carbohydrates were rich in glucose, arabinose, galactose and uronic acids. Stachyose, a fermentable fibre, was the most abundant oligosaccharide, making up 1.5%–2.4% of the dried pulse powders. Spray-drying of cooked, homogenized pulses produces an easy to use ingredient with strong nutritional profile.

A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total and LDL-cholesterol in older adults

Our purpose was to determine the effects of a pulse-based diet in individuals 50 years or older for reducing CVD risk factors. A total of 108 participants were randomised to receive pulse-based foods (two servings daily of beans, chickpeas, peas or lentils; about 150 g/d dry weight) or their regular diet for 2 months, followed by a washout of 1 month and a cross-over to the other diet for 2 months. Anthropometric measures, body composition and biochemical markers (i.e. serum LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C), as the primary outcome, and other lipids, glucose, insulin and C-reactive protein) were assessed before and after each diet phase. A total of eighty-seven participants (thirty males and fifty-seven females; 59·7 (sd 6·3) years, body mass 76 (sd 16) kg) completed the study. Compared with the regular diet, the pulse-based diet decreased total cholesterol by 8·3 % (pulse, 4·57 (sd 0·93) to 4·11 (sd 0·91) mmol/l; regular, 4·47 (sd 0·94) to 4·39 (sd 0·97) mmol/l; P < 0·001) and LDL-C by 7·9 % (pulse, 2·93 (sd 0·84) to 2·55 (sd 0·75) mmol/l; regular, 2·96 (sd 0·86) to 2·81 (sd 0·83) mmol/l; P = 0·01). In a sub-analysis of individuals with high lipid levels at baseline (twenty individuals with high cholesterol), the pulse-based diet reduced cholesterol by 6 % compared with the regular diet (pulse, 5·62 (sd 0·78) to 5·26 (sd 0·68) mmol/l; regular, 5·60 (sd 0·91) to 5·57 (sd 0·85) mmol/l; P = 0·05). A pulse-based diet is effective for reducing total cholesterol and LDL-C in older adults and therefore reduces the risk of CVD.

Pulse grain consumption and obesity: effects on energy expenditure, substrate oxidation, body composition, fat deposition and satiety

Pulses have been identified as important components of a healthy diet. Assessment of pulse grains' nutritional composition alongside data from available preclinical and clinical trials suggests that pulses can modulate biological processes that lead to obesity. Components of pulse grains, including pulse-derived fibre and resistant starch, have been shown to alter energy expenditure, substrate trafficking and fat oxidation as well as visceral adipose deposition. Although mechanistic studies are scarce, studies have indicated that fibres found in pulses can have an impact on the expression of genes that modulate metabolism. Arginine and glutamine may produce thermogenic effects as major components of pulse grain proteins. Finally, evidence suggests that pulse-derived fibres, trypsin inhibitors and lectins may reduce food intake by inducing satiety via facilitating and prolonging cholecystokinin secretion. Nonetheless, the aforementioned data remain controversial and associations between dietary pulse grains and energy intake require further study. Given the available evidence, it can be concluded that pulses could be useful as functional foods and food ingredients that combat obesity.

Nutritional quality and health benefits of chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.): a review

Chickpea (Cicer arietinumL.) is an important pulse crop grown and consumed all over the world, especially in the Afro-Asian countries. It is a good source of carbohydrates and protein, and protein quality is considered to be better than other pulses. Chickpea has significant amounts of all the essential amino acids except sulphur-containing amino acids, which can be complemented by adding cereals to the daily diet. Starch is the major storage carbohydrate followed by dietary fibre, oligosaccharides and simple sugars such as glucose and sucrose. Although lipids are present in low amounts, chickpea is rich in nutritionally important unsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and oleic acids. β-Sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol are important sterols present in chickpea oil. Ca, Mg, P and, especially, K are also present in chickpea seeds. Chickpea is a good source of important vitamins such as riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, folate and the vitamin A precursor β-carotene. As with other pulses, chickpea seeds also contain anti-nutritional factors which can be reduced or eliminated by different cooking techniques. Chickpea has several potential health benefits, and, in combination with other pulses and cereals, it could have beneficial effects on some of the important human diseases such as CVD, type 2 diabetes, digestive diseases and some cancers. Overall, chickpea is an important pulse crop with a diverse array of potential nutritional and health benefits.