Quality Formation of Adzuki Bean Baked: From Acrylamide to Volatiles under Microwave Heating and Drum Roasting

Nutritional, functional, and bioactive properties of african underutilized legumes

Globally, legumes are vital constituents of diet and perform critical roles in maintaining well-being owing to the dense nutritional contents and functional properties of their seeds. While much emphasis has been placed on the major grain legumes over the years, the neglected and underutilized legumes (NULs) are gaining significant recognition as probable crops to alleviate malnutrition and give a boost to food security in Africa. Consumption of these underutilized legumes has been associated with several health-promoting benefits and can be utilized as functional foods due to their rich dietary fibers, vitamins, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), proteins/essential amino acids, micro-nutrients, and bioactive compounds. Despite the plethora of nutritional benefits, the underutilized legumes have not received much research attention compared to common mainstream grain legumes, thus hindering their adoption and utilization. Consequently, research efforts geared toward improvement, utilization, and incorporation into mainstream agriculture in Africa are more convincing than ever. This work reviews some selected NULs of Africa (Adzuki beans (Vigna angularis), African yam bean (Sphenostylis stenocarpa), Bambara groundnut (Vigna subterranea), Jack bean (Canavalia ensiformis), Kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus), Marama bean (Tylosema esculentum), Mung bean, (Vigna radiata), Rice bean (Vigna Umbellata), and Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus)), and their nutritional, and functional properties. Furthermore, we highlight the prospects and current challenges associated with the utilization of the NULs and discusses the strategies to facilitate their exploitation as not only sources of vital nutrients, but also their integration for the development of cheap and accessible functional foods.

Nutritional Composition, Efficacy, and Processing of Vigna angularis (Adzuki Bean) for the Human Diet: An Overview

Adzuki beans are grown in several countries around the world and are widely popular in Asia, where they are often prepared in various food forms. Adzuki beans are rich in starch, and their proteins contain a balanced variety of amino acids with high lysine content, making up for the lack of protein content of cereals in the daily diet. Therefore, the research on adzuki beans and the development of their products have broad prospects for development. The starch, protein, fat, polysaccharide, and polyphenol contents and compositions of adzuki beans vary greatly among different varieties. The processing characteristic components of adzuki beans, such as starch, isolated protein, and heated flavor, are reported with a view to further promote the processing and development of adzuki bean foods. In addition to favorable edibility, the human health benefits of adzuki beans include antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. Furtherly, adzuki beans and extracts have positive effects on the prevention and treatment of diseases, including diabetes, diabetes-induced kidney disease or kidney damage, obesity, and high-fat-induced cognitive decline. This also makes a case for the dual use of adzuki beans for food and medicine and contributes to the promotion of adzuki beans as a healthy, edible legume.

Effect of Microwave Treatment on Adzuki Beans (Vigna angularis L.) under Dry State—Analyzing Microstructure, Water Absorption, and Antioxidant Properties

In this study, a microwave was used on adzuki beans (Arari and Geomguseul) without water, in order to investigate their changes in microstructure, water absorption, and antioxidative properties. As the microwave treatment time increased (2450 MHz, 0 to 60 s), the lightness, redness, and yellowness were reduced, and moisture content significantly decreased in both varieties. The microstructure space between the seed coat, cotyledon, and pores within the cotyledon were observed, due to the loss of moisture. Regardless of microwave treatment, the water absorption behavior of the adzuki beans was sigmoidal. However, the water absorption kinetics of Arari increased after microwave treatment, whereas with microwave-treated Geomguseul, the water absorption rate decreased, compared to the control, except for the sample treated for 30 s. During soaking, the water absorption and softening rates in the microwave-treated adzuki bean were twice as fast as the untreated beans. Antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds, and total flavonoid compounds were greatly improved by microwave treatment. These results indicate that microwave treatment affects the color, hydration, and bioactive compounds, and it can be used as a pretreatment method before processing adzuki beans.