In vitro and in vivo biological properties of pea pods (Pisum sativum L.)

A Comprehensive Review of Pea (Pisum sativum L.): Chemical Composition, Processing, Health Benefits, and Food Applications

Pisum sativum L., commonly referred to as dry, green, or field pea, is one of the most common legumes that is popular and economically important. Due to its richness in a variety of nutritional and bioactive ingredients, the consumption of pea has been suggested to be associated with a wide range of health benefits, and there has been increasing focus on its potential as a functional food. However, there have been limited literature reviews concerning the bioactive compounds, health-promoting effects, and potential applications of pea up to now. This review, therefore, summarizes the literature from the last ten years regarding the chemical composition, physicochemical properties, processing, health benefits, and potential applications of pea. Whole peas are rich in macronutrients, including proteins, starches, dietary fiber, and non-starch polysaccharides. In addition, polyphenols, especially flavonoids and phenolic acids, are important bioactive ingredients that are mainly distributed in the pea coats. Anti-nutritional factors, such as phytic acid, lectin, and trypsin inhibitors, may hinder nutrient absorption. Whole pea seeds can be processed by different techniques such as drying, milling, soaking, and cooking to improve their functional properties. In addition, physicochemical and functional properties of pea starches and pea proteins can be improved by chemical, physical, enzymatic, and combined modification methods. Owing to the multiple bioactive ingredients in peas, the pea and its products exhibit various health benefits, such as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-renal fibrosis, and regulation of metabolic syndrome effects. Peas have been processed into various products such as pea beverages, germinated pea products, pea flour-incorporated products, pea-based meat alternatives, and encapsulation and packing materials. Furthermore, recommendations are also provided on how to better utilize peas to promote their development as a sustainable and functional grain. Pea and its components can be further developed into more valuable and nutritious products.

Pea (Pisum sativum L.) pod powder as a potential enhancer of probiotic Enterococcus faecium M74 in ice cream and its physicochemical, structural, and sensory effects

BACKGROUND

In this study, pea (Pisum sativum L.) pod powder (PPP) was incorporated (1% and 3% w/w) into a probiotic ice cream formulation containing Enterococcus faecium M74 to investigate the potential effect of PPP on the probiotic survivability in the ice cream throughout 60 days of frozen storage. Moreover, the produced symbiotic ice creams were evaluated for their physiochemical properties, stability, and sensory acceptability.

RESULTS

Incorporation of PPP into ice cream caused significantly (P < 0.05) increased protein and ash content and lower pH values. Besides that, the addition of PPP resulted in ice creams with higher hardness and lower overrun. A significant diminishing was observed in the melting rates of the ice creams as the percentage of PPP increased and storage time progressed. Ice cream with PPP presented lower lightness and higher greenness and yellowness compared with control. All ice creams had viable counts of E. faecium M74 of ≥6 log cfu g-1 during storage and provided the number of viable cells that the probiotic product should contain. On day 60, the viability of E. faecium M74 in ice cream containing 1% PPP (7.64 ± 0.02) was higher than the control (7.28 ± 0.00). Sensory analyses revealed that there was no statistical difference in ice cream with 1% PPP and the control without PPP in terms of general acceptability.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that pea pods, which is a waste product of the pea industry and obtained at zero cost, could be used as a potential prebiotic and an agent to improve technological properties of dairy products. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Determination of Quality Parameters in Mangetout (Pisum sativum L. ssp. arvense) by Using Vis/Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy

Pisum sativum L. ssp. arvense, is colloquially called tirabeque or mangetout because it is eaten whole; its pods are recognized as a delicatessen in cooking due to its crunch on the palate and high sweetness. Furthermore, this legume is an important source of protein and antioxidant compounds. Quality control in this species requires the analysis of a large number of samples using costly and laborious conventional methods. For this reason, a non-chemical and rapid technique as near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) was explored to determine its physicochemical quality (color, firmness, total soluble solids, pH, total polyphenols, ascorbic acid and protein content). Pod samples from different cultivars and grown under different fertigation treatments were added to the NIRS analysis to increase spectral and chemical variability in the calibration set. Modified partial least squares regression was used for obtaining the calibration models of these parameters. The coefficients of determination in the external validation ranged from 0.50 to 0.88. The RPD (standard deviation to standard error of prediction ratio) and RER (standard deviation to range) were variable for quality parameters and showed values that were characteristic of equations suitable for quantitative prediction and screening purposes, except for the total soluble solid calibration model.

Antidiabetic activities of glycoprotein from pea (Pisum sativum L.) in STZ-induced diabetic mice

Polysaccharides have hypoglycemic activity and pea protein has high nutritional value. The purified pea glycoprotein PGP2 has been shown to inhibit the activity of α-glucosidase and α-amylase in previous studies. To study the mechanism of PGP2-induced blood glucose lowering in vivo, this paper established a diabetic mouse model by intraperitoneal injection of STZ and high-fat diet, and evaluated the blood-glucose-lowering activity of the pea component PGP2 at different doses. The results showed that intragastric administration of PGP2 could effectively reduce diabetic weight loss and polyphagia symptoms, reduce fasting blood glucose levels in mice, and improve oral glucose tolerance levels in mice. PGP2 could promote insulin secretion and had a protective effect on mouse organs. After intragastric administration of PGP2 in mice, the serum levels of total cholesterol, triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein decreased. PGP2 up-regulated the gene expression of insulin receptor substrates IRS-1 and IRS-2 in liver tissues, thereby reducing insulin resistance. Based on the above experimental results, PGP2 had good hypoglycemic activity and was expected to be developed as a natural medicine for the treatment of type II diabetes.

Diversity of Pod Shape in Pisum

The seed-containing pod is the defining structure of plants in the legume family, yet pods exhibit a wide range of morphological variation. Within a species pod characters are likely to be correlated with reproductive strategy, and within cultivated forms will correspond to aspects of yield determination and/or end use. Here variation in pod size, described as pod length: pod width ratio, has been analyzed in pea germplasm represented by 597 accessions. This pod size variation is discussed with respect to population structure and to known classical pod morphology mutants. Variability of the pod length: width ratio can be explained by allelic variation at two genetic loci that may correspond to organ-specific negative regulators of growth.

Antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antihyperlipidemic activities of wheat flour-based chips incorporated with omega-3-rich fish oil and artichoke powder

In the present study, the omega-3-rich oil from fish viscera and gill by-products, and caffeoylquinic-rich powder of artichoke bract by-products were used for the enrichment of wheat flour chips. Incorporation of these ingredients improved the lipid profile by increasing the level of polyunsaturated essential fatty acids mainly linoleic, linolenic, eicosapentaenoic, and docosahexaenoic acids enhancing thereby their nutritional quality. In alloxan-induced diabetic mice, the novel products reverts the blood glucose and serum markers including alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, urea, and creatinine to their normal levels. Concomitantly, they prevented lipid peroxidation and activated antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase). They ameliorate the lipid profile by reducing triglycerides, cholesterol, and LDL. Additional efforts aimed at investigating the potential of other raw materials including algal biomass, and shrimps as a sustainable source of valuable ingredients would contribute to the development of new products with improved nutritional and functional attributes. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS: Icorporation of cheap, available, and functional ingredients from fish (omega-3-rich oil) and artichoke bract by-products into wheat flour chips could be successfully adopted for the development of functional foods destined for diabetic patient.