Identification and comparison of proteomic and peptide profiles of mung bean seeds and sprouts

Comparative Seed Proteome Profile Reveals No Alternation of Major Allergens in High-Yielding Mung Bean Cultivars

Mung bean contains up to 32.6% protein and is one of the great sources of plant-based protein. Because many allergens also function as defense-related proteins, it is important to determine their abundance levels in the high-yielding, disease-resistant cultivars. In this study, for the first time, we compared the seed proteome of high-yielding mung bean cultivars developed by a conventional breeding approach. Using a label-free quantitative proteomic platform, we successfully identified and quantified a total of 1373 proteins. Comparative analysis between the high-yielding disease-resistant cultivar (MC5) and the other three cultivars showed that a total of 69 common proteins were significantly altered in their abundances across all cultivars. Bioinformatic analysis of these altered proteins demonstrated that PDF1 (a defensin-like protein) exhibited high sequence similarity and epitope matching with the established peanut allergens, indicating a potential mung bean allergen that showed a cultivar-specific response. Conversely, known mung bean allergen proteins such as PR-2/PR-10 (Vig r 1), Vig r 2, Vig r 4, LTP1, β-conglycinin, and glycinin G4 showed no alternation in the MC5 compared to other cultivars. Taken together, our findings suggest that the known allergen profiles may not be impacted by the conventional plant breeding method to develop improved mung bean cultivars.

The enhancement effect of mungbean on the physical, functional, and sensory characteristics of soy yoghurt

Vegetable drinks offer a convenient way to increase the daily intake of vegetables containing vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber. In this study, we discovered that mungbean milk serves as a carbohydrate source during fermentation using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and enhances the nutritional value of vegetable yoghurt. Mungbean milk reduces pH while titratable acidity increases faster than soybean milk during fermentation. M0S, Soybean milk 100% with added sucrose exhibited the highest titratable acidity after 16 h of fermentation. The acetic acid content of all samples did not show significant changes during fermentation, but the lactic acid content increased. Proximate analysis showed no significant change during fermentation, regardless of the fermentation time and mixing ratio of mungbean to soybean milk. The sucrose content of samples except M0S decreased after 16 h of fermentation. Mungbean milk exhibited high antioxidant activity both before and after fermentation, while M0S showed the lowest antioxidant activity. The results of this study demonstrated the potential application of mungbean milk to improve fermented vegetable drinks using LAB functionally. Fermented mungbean milk yoghurt can be a valuable addition to a healthy and balanced diet for those who consume plant-based diets.

The Effect of Illumination Patterns during Mung Bean Seed Germination on the Metabolite Composition of the Sprouts

Mung bean (Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek) sprouts are popular over the world because of their taste, nutritional value, well-balanced biochemical composition, and other properties beneficial for human health. Germination conditions affect the composition of metabolites in mung bean sprouts, so a detailed study into its variability is required. This article presents the results of a comparison of the metabolite composition in the leaves of mung bean sprouts germinated first in the dark (DS) and then in the light (LS). Gas chromatography with mass spectrometry (GC-MS) made it possible to identify more than 100 compounds representing various groups of phytochemicals. Alcohols, amino acids, and saccharides predominated in the total amount of compounds. The analysis of metabolomic profiles exposed a fairly high intra- and intervarietal variability in the metabolite content. DS and LS differed in the qualitative and quantitative content of the identified compounds. The intravarietal variability was more pronounced in DS than in LS. DS demonstrated higher levels of saccharides, fatty acids, acylglycerols, and phenolic compounds, while amino acids were higher in LS. Changes were recorded in the quantitative content of metabolites participating in the response of plants to stressors-ornithine, proline, GABA, inositol derivatives, etc. The changes were probably induced by the stress experienced by the sprouts when they were transferred from shade to light. The analysis of variance and principal factor analysis showed the statistically significant effect of germination conditions on the content of individual compounds in leaves. The identified features of metabolite variability in mung bean genotypes grown under different conditions will contribute to more accurate selection of an illumination pattern to obtain sprouts with desirable biochemical compositions for use in various diets and products with high nutritional value.

Correlation between Protein Features and the Properties of pH-Driven-Assembled Nanoparticles: Control of Particle Size

This study sought to understand how the features of proteins impact the properties of nanoparticles assembled using the pH-shifting approach and the mechanism behind. Four legume protein isolates from faba bean, mung bean, soy, and pea were fractionated into natural aqueous-soluble (Sup) and aqueous-insoluble (Sed) fractions, which were proved to serve as shell and core, respectively, for the pH-driven-assembled nanoparticles. Using zein instead of Sed fractions as the core improved size uniformity, and particle size can be precisely controlled by adjusting core/shell ratios. Using the proteomic technique and silico characterization, the features of identified proteins indicated that hydrophobicity rather than molecular weight, surface charge, etc., mainly determined particle size. With molecular docking, structural analysis, and dissociation tests, the assembly of zein/Sup-based nanoparticles was dominantly driven by hydrophobic interactions. This study provides constructive information on the correlation between protein features and the properties of pH-driven-assembled nanoparticles, achieving a precise control of particle size.

Quantitative Estimation of Protein in Sprouts of Vigna radiate (Mung Beans), Lens culinaris (Lentils), and Cicer arietinum (Chickpeas) by Kjeldahl and Lowry Methods

Protein scarcity is the most vital cause of long-lasting diseases and even untimely deaths in some developing nations. The application of protein in food is advantageous from the point of view of non-toxicity, biocompatibility, and dietary benefits. This study aimed to determine the protein contents of the sprouts of Vigna radiates (mung beans), Lens culinaris (lentils), and Cicer arietinum (chickpeas) using the Kjeldahl and Lowry methods. The results obtained from the Kjeldahl method identified protein concentrations of 2.54, 2.63, and 2.19%, whereas the Lowry method results identified protein concentrations of 2.96%, 4.10%, and 1.6% in mung beans, lentils, and chickpeas, respectively. In both the methods, lentils were found to have the highest amount of protein followed by mung beans and chickpeas. Both the Kjeldahl and Lowry methods demonstrated good protein values and low variation in the protein amount in the analyzed samples. Furthermore, the methods had greater sensitivity and comparable experimental variability. The outcomes revealed that assays can be applied for protein analysis in legumes. In the context of a lack of suitable standard procedures for evaluating legumes’ compositions, the present study is suitable for food control laboratories. In addition, the studied samples represent a significant source of protein and can be used to fulfil the daily requirements for protein intake and other food applications.