Evaluation of the effects of canning variables on the mineral composition of canned cowpeas (Vigna unguiculata l. Walp) using multi-response analysis

This study aims to investigate the effects of canning variables (cooking time, storage time, volume of vinegar, salt and sugar) on the mineral composition of canned cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) and which conditions provide optimised preservation of the mineral content of the grains. Different formulations of canned cowpeas were produced following two levels factorial experimental design using five variables. A set of 11 different formulations were evaluated using the desirability function with essential minerals (Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mg, P and Zn) as the response. The optimal multi-response conditions for higher mineral retention were: 360 days of storage at 30 ± 5 °C (ST2), 30 ml of vinegar, 9.0 g of NaCl, 18 min of cooking time, and 9.0 g, 19.5 g or 30 g of sugar (the effect of the sugar content at the evaluated range was not significant at 95% confidence level).

Talc and calcium carbonate inclusions in direct expanded pea starch extrudates exhibit different behavior under increasing screw speeds

The ability to modulate direct expanded product structures improves the versatility and range of product applications. The effect of nucleating agents, namely, talc and calcium carbonate (CC), on the expansion characteristics of pea starch extrudates as impacted by screw speed was explored. Pea starch blends with increasing levels of nucleating agents (0.25%, 1%, and 2%) at 18% moisture (w.b.) were extruded across a range of screw speeds (150, 250, 350, and 450 rpm). The water absorption index, water solubility index (WSI), expansion ratio (ER), unit density, and cell count were determined to evaluate the performance of nucleating agents. The nucleating efficiency of CC, as assessed by cell count, improved with increasing screw speeds. In contrast, the nucleating efficiency of talc was influenced by inclusion levels irrespective of screw speed. ER values ranged from 2.10 to 2.88, where higher nucleating agent inclusions and screw speeds corresponded with lower ER values. Increased nucleating agents and screw speeds corresponded to higher WSI values suggesting the nucleating agents promoted starch degradation. The nucleating agents appeared to promote flow instabilities indicated upon assessment of the extrudate surface. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study provides helpful information on the expanded extrudate structure of pea starch as influenced by screw speed and nucleating agents. These findings may help the food industry select processing parameters and appropriate nucleating agent inclusion levels when producing new expanded products with unique textures.

Legumes and pulses - a scoping review for Nordic Nutrition Recommendations 2023

Consumption of legumes and pulses is associated with various health outcomes. Therefore, when updating the Nordic Nutrition Recommendations (NNR), summarizing the best available evidence on key health outcomes regarded as relevant for the Nordic and Baltics related to the consumption of legumes was essential. The aim of this scoping review was to evaluate the updated evidence on the effect of the consumption of legumes and pulses on various health outcomes, as well as their dose-response relationship in updated systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The scoping review is built on a de novo systematic review published in 2023 and additional searches on the consumption of legumes and pulses and its various health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Current available evidence shows that the consumption of legumes and pulses is associated with a lower risk of several cancers (evidence: low-moderate), and lower all-cause mortality (evidence: moderate). The associations with CVDs are neutral or inverse, with studies generally showing favourable changes in biomarkers for CVDs. Legume consumption is associated with a lower risk of obesity (evidence: low). For type 2 diabetes, no association was found with incidence, but trials on consumption of legumes and pulses and biomarkers generally indicated protective effects. Overall, the current evidence supports dietary recommendations to increase the consumption of legumes and pulses.

Legumes: A Vehicle for Transition to Sustainability

Legumes are an excellent source of protein and have been used in the human diet for centuries. Consumption of legumes has been linked to several health benefits, including a lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and certain types of cancer, while legumes' high fiber content promotes digestive health. Aside from the positive health benefits, one of the most significant advantages of legumes is the low environmental footprint of their cultivation. They can be grown in a variety of climates and soil types, and they require less water and fertilizer than other crops, making them a sustainable option for farmers. Thanks to their nutritional and physicochemical properties, they are widely used by the food industry since the growing popularity of plant-based diets and the increasing demand for alternatives to meat offers the opportunity to develop legume-based meat substitutes. As the use of legumes as a source of protein becomes widespread, new market opportunities could be created for farmers and food industries, while the reduction in healthcare costs could have a potential economic impact. Achieving widespread adoption of legumes as a sustainable source of protein requires coordinated efforts by individuals, governments, and the private sector. The objective of this narrative review is to present the benefits coming from legume consumption in terms of health and environmental sustainability, and underline the importance of promoting their inclusion in the daily dietary pattern as well as their use as functional ingredients and plant-based alternatives to animal products.

Effect of Adding Pulses to Replace Protein Foods and Refined Grains in Healthy Dietary Patterns

Pulses are dry seeds of legumes which are high in fiber and contain plant protein and several important macronutrients. Our aim was to model the nutritional effects of substituting servings of protein foods and/or refined grains with servings of beans and peas in the Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern identified in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. Dietary modeling was accomplished by substituting nutrients of protein foods and/or refined grains with nutrients of the USDA's beans and peas (pulses) composite in the 2000 kcal Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern. A 10% or more change was used as an indicator of meaningful differences. Cost implications were computed by adding the cost of pulses and subtracting the cost of protein foods/refined grains according to the modeling scenario. The substitution of 6-8 oz/week protein foods with 1.5-2.0 cups/week pulses increased fiber and decreased cholesterol. Higher amounts of pulses replacing refined grains or combinations of protein foods and refined grains generally increase fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, and copper depending on the modeling scenarios. All modeling scenarios of substituting the servings of protein foods alone or in combination with refined grains with the servings of pulses were associated with cost savings. Our results suggest that encouraging increased pulse consumption may be an effective strategy for improving diet.

Unveiling the Evidence for the Use of Pulses in Managing Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Scoping Review

Management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a pressing global healthcare challenge. Innovative strategies that integrate superior medical and nutritional practices are essential for holistic care. As such, pulse consumption is encouraged for its potential benefit in reducing hypercholesterolaemia, dyslipidaemia, and triglyceride levels, as well as enhancing glycaemic control. This scoping review aims to assess the depth of evidence supporting the recommendation for pulse consumption in T2DM management and to identify gaps in the existing literature. We conducted a comprehensive search across the databases MEDLINE, Global Health, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library (up to July 2023). We included population-based studies of any design, and excluded review-style articles. Articles published in languages other than English were also excluded. From the 2449 studies initially identified, 28 met our inclusion criteria. Acute postprandial trials demonstrated improved glucose responses and enhanced insulin responses to pulse-based intervention. Meanwhile, long-term trials reported meaningful improvements in T2DM indicators such as haemoglobin A1C (HbA1c), fasting glucose, fasting insulin, C-peptide, and markers of insulin resistance like homeostatic model assessment (HOMA). Integrating more pulses into the diets of diabetic individuals might offer an efficient and cost-effective strategy in the global initiative to combat T2DM.

Dietary practice and nutritional status and the respective effect of pulses-based nutrition education among adolescent girls in Northwest Ethiopia: a cluster randomized controlled trial

Background

Thinness and stunting are the most severe public health problems among adolescent girls in Ethiopia. An inadequate intake of protein-source foods is the most critical cause, mainly due to the non-affordability of animal-origin foods. However, research into what extent improving pulses-based food consumption could contribute to decreasing the magnitude of protein-energy undernutrition is limited.

Objective

This trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of pulses-based nutrition education in reducing the proportion of thinness among adolescent girls.

Methods

A two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted among adolescent girls in Northwest Ethiopia from December 2021 to June 2022. A total of 602 adolescent girls from four schools were enrolled in the trial. Schools were assigned to intervention and control groups using the stratified cluster randomization method. Pulses-based nutrition education was the intervention, whereas the usual dietary practice of adolescent girls was the comparator. The education was delivered over 4 weeks on a 45-60-min session per week basis. Thinness was the primary outcome of the trial, measured by anthropometry. An intention-to-treat analysis method was used. A log-binomial regression model was fitted to the data. Relative risk with the respective confidence interval and value of p was calculated. A value of p < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance. Stata 16 software was used for the analysis.

Results

About 89.37% of the participants in the intervention group and 92.36% in the control group completed the trial. The pulses-based nutrition education intervention did not show a significant difference in reducing the proportion of thinness among the participants in the intervention group compared to the participants in the control group even though a significant difference was observed in terms of the consumption of pulses-based food.

Conclusion

The present trial was statistically non-significant in reducing thinness among adolescent girls. Similar studies that utilize objective methods for ascertaining pulses-based food consumption need to be conducted.Clinical trial registration: https://pactr.samrc.ac.za/Search.aspx, the trial was registered in the Pan African Clinical Trials Registry (PACTR202111605102515) on November 12, 2021.

A Translational Approach to Increase Pulse Intake and Promote Public Health through Developing an Extension Bean Toolkit

Practical, affordable solutions need to be implemented to address global challenges confronting human and environmental health. Despite a myriad of benefits for people and the planet, beans and other pulses (e.g., chickpeas, cowpeas, dry peas, lentils) are under-consumed. To better understand consumer concerns and interests, a Food Habits Survey was conducted and the findings were incorporated into the Colorado State University Extension Bean Toolkit. Guided by the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills model, the toolkit included informational social media posts, cooking guidance, and an online class. A convenience sample of participants was recruited through Extension and university networks. After class participation, significant gains in knowledge of pulse nutrition, versatility, and cooking were observed, with an average increase of 1.5 points on a 5-point Likert scale (p < 0.001). Moreover, participants (n = 86) perceived a greater importance of motivators (e.g., nutrition, versatility, environmental benefits) and found barriers (e.g., flatulence, long cooking times, unfamiliarity) to be less discouraging. Most participants reported an intention to eat more pulses, and among those who completed the 1-month follow-up survey, pulse intake frequency increased (p = 0.004). Emphasizing motivating factors while simultaneously mitigating barriers to consumption can help reverse insufficient intake and promote healthy behavior change. Leveraging Extension or similar networks is one way to adopt a translational approach to better reach the public with this information.

Investigating the influence of elevated temperature on nutritional and yield characteristics of mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) genotypes during seed filling in a controlled environment

Rising temperatures impact different developmental stages of summer crops like mung bean, particularly during the crucial seed-filling stage. This study focused on two mung bean genotypes, categorized as heat-tolerant [HT] or heat-sensitive [HS]. These genotypes were grown in pots in an outdoor natural environment (average day/night temperature 36°C/24.3°C) until the onset of podding (40 days after sowing) and subsequently relocated to controlled-environment walk-in growth chambers for exposure to heat stress (42°C/30°C) or control conditions (35°C/25°C) until maturity. For all measured attributes, heat stress had a more pronounced effect on the HS genotype than on the HT genotype. Heat-stressed plants exhibited severe leaf damage, including membrane damage, reduced chlorophyll content, diminished chlorophyll fluorescence, and decreased leaf water content. Heat stress impeded the seed-filling rate and duration, decreasing starch, protein, fat, and mineral contents, with a notable decline in storage proteins. Heat stress disrupted the activities of several seed enzymes, inhibiting starch and sucrose accumulation and consequently decreasing individual seed weights and seed weight plant-1. This study revealed that heat stress during seed filling severely impaired mung bean seed yield and nutritional quality due to its impact on various stress-related traits in leaves and enzyme activities in seeds. Moreover, this research identified potential mechanisms related to heat tolerance in genotypes with contrasting heat sensitivity.

Recalcitrance to transformation, a hindrance for genome editing of legumes

Plant genome editing, a recently discovered method for targeted mutagenesis, has emerged as a promising tool for crop improvement and gene function research. Many genome-edited plants, such as rice, wheat, and tomato, have emerged over the last decade. As the preliminary steps in the procedure for genome editing involve genetic transformation, amenability to genome editing depends on the efficiency of genetic engineering. Hence, there are numerous reports on the aforementioned crops because they are transformed with relative ease. Legume crops are rich in protein and, thus, are a favored source of plant proteins for the human diet in most countries. However, legume cultivation often succumbs to various biotic/abiotic threats, thereby leading to high yield loss. Furthermore, certain legumes like peanuts possess allergens, and these need to be eliminated as these deprive many people from gaining the benefits of such crops. Further genetic variations are limited in certain legumes. Genome editing has the potential to offer solutions to not only combat biotic/abiotic stress but also generate desirable knock-outs and genetic variants. However, excluding soybean, alfalfa, and Lotus japonicus, reports obtained on genome editing of other legume crops are less. This is because, excluding the aforementioned three legume crops, the transformation efficiency of most legumes is found to be very low. Obtaining a higher number of genome-edited events is desirable as it offers the option to genotypically/phenotypically select the best candidate, without the baggage of off-target mutations. Eliminating the barriers to genetic engineering would directly help in increasing genome-editing rates. Thus, this review aims to compare various legumes for their transformation, editing, and regeneration efficiencies and discusses various solutions available for increasing transformation and genome-editing rates in legumes.

Allostasis in Neuroendocrine Systems Controlling Reproduction

Allostasis provides a supporting role to the homeostatic control of biological variables in mammalian species. While the concept of homeostasis is related to the control of variables within a set point or range that are essential to life, allostasis refers to systems that facilitate adaptation to challenges that the organism faces and the new requirements for survival. Essential for such adaptation is the role played by the brain in eliciting neural and neuroendocrine responses. Reproductive function is fundamental for the survival of species but is costly in energetic terms and requires a synchrony with an ever-changing environment. Thus, in many species reproductive function is blocked or delayed over immediate challenges. This review will cover the physiological systems and neuroendocrine pathways that supply allostatic control over reproductive neuroendocrine systems. Light, hypoxia, temperature, nutrition, psychosocial, and immune mediators influence the neuroendocrine control of reproductive functions through pathways that are confluent at the paraventricular nucleus; however, understanding of the integrative responses to these stimuli has not been clarified. Likely, the ultimate consequence of these allostatic mechanisms is the modification of kisspeptin and gonadotropin-releasing hormone neuronal activity, thus compromising reproduction function in the short term, while preserving species survivability.

Study of the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) in Native Cereal-Pulse Flours and the Influence of the Baking Process on TAC Using a Combined Bayesian and Support Vector Machine Modeling Approach

During the last few years, the increasing evidence of dietary antioxidant compounds and reducing chronic diseases and the relationship between diet and health has promoted an important innovation within the baked product sector, aiming at healthier formulations. This study aims to develop a tool based on mathematical models to predict baked goods' total antioxidant capacity (TAC). The high variability of antioxidant properties of flours based on the aspects related to the type of grain, varieties, proximal composition, and processing, among others, makes it very difficult to innovate on food product development without specific analysis. Total phenol content (TP), oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and ferric-reducing antioxidant power assay (FRAP) were used as markers to determine antioxidant capacity. Three Bayesian-type models are proposed based on a double exponential parameterized curve that reflects the initial decrease and subsequent increase as a consequence of the observed processes of degradation and generation, respectively, of the antioxidant compounds. Once the values of the main parameters of each curve were determined, support vector machines (SVM) with an exponential kernel allowed us to predict the values of TAC, based on baking conditions (temperature and time), proteins, and fibers of each native grain.

Faba Bean (Vicia faba L. minor) Bitterness: An Untargeted Metabolomic Approach to Highlight the Impact of the Non-Volatile Fraction

In the context of climate change, faba beans are an interesting alternative to animal proteins but are characterised by off-notes and bitterness that decrease consumer acceptability. However, research on pulse bitterness is often limited to soybeans and peas. This study aimed to highlight potential bitter non-volatile compounds in faba beans. First, the bitterness of flours and air-classified fractions (starch and protein) of three faba bean cultivars was evaluated by a trained panel. The fractions from the high-alkaloid cultivars and the protein fractions exhibited higher bitter intensity. Second, an untargeted metabolomic approach using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-tandem-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-DAD-HRMS) was correlated with the bitter perception of the fractions. Third, 42 tentatively identified non-volatile compounds were associated with faba bean bitterness by correlated sensory and metabolomic data. These compounds mainly belonged to different chemical classes such as alkaloids, amino acids, phenolic compounds, organic acids, and terpenoids. This research provided a better understanding of the molecules responsible for bitterness in faba beans and the impact of cultivar and air-classification on the bitter content. The bitter character of these highlighted compounds needs to be confirmed by sensory and/or cellular analyses to identify removal or masking strategies.

Bean Cuisine: The Potential of Citizen Science to Help Motivate Changes in Pulse Knowledge and Consumption

Pulses, or the dry, edible seeds of non-oilseed legumes (e.g., chickpeas, cowpeas, dry beans, dry peas, and lentils), are uniquely positioned to simultaneously benefit human and environmental well-being, all while being affordable and important to diverse cultural food traditions around the world. Despite the benefits they can provide, pulses are dramatically under-consumed. One key barrier preventing higher intake among consumers is a lack of familiarity with how to prepare and regularly incorporate pulses into meals. To address this barrier and actualize findings from our laboratory, we created the Bean Cuisine, a 2-week cuisine (i.e., meal plan) with 56 pulse-centric recipes corresponding to 14 unique breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner ideas. Each meal category was largely interchangeable, i.e., the order of the breakfast recipes is not important, and one could be swapped for another if a different order were preferrable to a consumer. Fifty-six citizen scientists were recruited to provide feedback on the Bean Cuisine. Free response feedback related to project participation was very positive, and common themes included changes in pulse consumption and cooking behaviors, increased awareness of pulse variety and versatility, and positive perceptions of citizen science. Overall, participation in the Bean Cuisine citizen science project helped create pulse advocates, empowering participants to advance the well-being of their communities through pulses.

Edible insects and legumes exert an antioxidant effect on human colon mucosal cells stressed with 2,2'-azobis (2-amidinopropane)-dihydrochloride

Introduction

Edible insects have been recognized as a more sustainable source of nutrients and bio-active compounds than animal-based products, in line with classical vegetable sources such as legumes. In this study, we assessed the antioxidant properties of four edible insects (silkworms, grasshoppers, mealworms and giant worms) and four legume seeds (lentils, chickpeas, Roveja peas and grass peas).

Methods

After the aqueous extraction or in vitro simulated digestion process, selected products were assessed for: (i) in vitro antioxidant capacity through Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power (FRAP) assay; (ii) the ability to reduce free radicals production induced by a pro-oxidant agent in cells of human colonic mucosa.

Results

All the aqueous extracts and digesta of edible insects displayed significantly higher in vitro antioxidant activity than legumes. Moreover, edible insects at all tested concentrations were able to exert an antioxidant effect in the cellular model, while legumes were effective mainly at high concentrations.

Discussion

Despite human trials are need to confirm and define these results in a physiological situation, here we suggest a role for edible insects in oxidative stress prevention. Since oxidative stress is strongly correlated with several intestinal pathologies, the results obtained could be interesting for the prevention and relief of the negative symptoms, offering new advantages to their already known ecological and nutritional properties.

Overview of the Incorporation of Legumes into New Food Options: An Approach on Versatility, Nutritional, Technological, and Sensory Quality

Consumers are more aware and demanding of healthy food options, besides being concerned with environment-friendly consumption. This paper aims to evaluate nutritional, technological, and sensory characteristics of legumes and their products' quality and versatility, considering potential applications in new food options. Legumes are foods that have a recognized nutritional group since they have high protein and fiber content. However, their consumption is still somehow limited for some reasons: in some countries it is not easy to find all the species or cultivars, they need an organization and planning before preparation since they need soaking, and there is the presence of antinutritional factors. Due to the different functionalities of legume proteins, they can be applied to a variety of foods and for different purposes, as grains themselves, aquafaba, extracts, flours, brans, and textured proteins and sprouts. These products have been inserted as ingredients in infant food formulations, gluten-free foods, vegetarian diets, and in hybrid products to reduce food costs as well. Foods such as bread, cakes, cookies, meat analogues, and other baked or cooked products have been elaborated with nutritional, technological and sensory quality. Further development of formulations focused on improving the quality of legume-based products is necessary because of their potential and protein quality.

Legume Consumption and Blood Pressure Control in Individuals with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension: Cross-Sectional Findings from the TOSCA.IT Study

BACKGROUND

Our aims were to evaluate the relationship of habitual legume consumption with blood pressure (BP) control in a large cohort of people with T2D and hypertension, and to investigate whether specific nutritional components of legumes or other foods may contribute to regulate BP levels.

METHODS

We studied 1897 participants with T2D and hypertension. Dietary habits were assessed through a validated food frequency questionnaire. Sex-specific quartiles of legume consumption were created.

RESULTS

Higher legume consumption was associated with a lower intake of energy, carbohydrates, glycaemic load, alcohol, and sodium, and a significantly greater intake of proteins, fat, monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, fibre, potassium, and polyphenols. Significantly lower systolic and diastolic BP values were observed in the highest vs. lowest quartile of legume consumption (132.9 ± 6.7 vs. 137.3 ± 7.0 mmHg, p < 0.001; 78.9 ± 4.1 vs. 81.0 ± 4.2 mmHg, p = 0.002; respectively), as well as the proportion of people meeting the treatment targets (61.3% vs. 37.4% and 71.3% vs. 52.4%, respectively, p < 0.01). This association was independent from other foods whose consumption is associated with the high legume intake.

CONCLUSIONS

In people with T2D and hypertension, three servings of legumes per week are associated with significantly better BP control. This gives further support to current dietary guidelines in recommending the frequent consumption of legumes, as a "ready-to-use" dietary strategy to achieve optimal BP control.

Chickpeas' and Lentils' Soaking and Cooking Wastewaters Repurposed for Growing Lactic Acid Bacteria

Legumes processing involves large amounts of water to remove anti-nutrients, reduce uncomfortable effects, and improve organoleptic characteristics. This procedure generates waste and high levels of environmental pollution. This work aims to evaluate the galacto-oligosaccharide (GOS) and general carbohydrate composition of legume wastewaters and assess their potential for growing lactic acid bacteria. Legume wastewater extracts were produced by soaking and/or cooking the dry seeds of chickpeas and lentils in distilled water and analysed using high-performance liquid chromatography with refractive index detection. GOS were present in all extracts, which was also confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). C-BW extract, produced by cooking chickpeas without soaking, provided the highest extraction yield of 3% (g/100 g dry seeds). Lentil extracts were the richest source of GOS with degree of polymerization ≥ 5 (0.4%). Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114 was able to grow in de Man, Rogosa, and Sharpe (MRS) broth prepared by replacing the glucose naturally present in the medium with chickpeas' and lentils' extracts. Bacteria were able to consume the mono and disaccharides present in the media with extracts, as demonstrated by HPLC and FTIR. These results provide support for the revalorisation of chickpeas' and lentils' wastewater, being also a sustainable way to purify GOS by removing mono and disaccharides from the mixtures.

Pulse-Based Nutrition Education Intervention Among High School Students to Enhance Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices: Pilot for a Formative Survey Study

BACKGROUND

Promoting pulse consumption in schools could improve students' healthy food choices. Pulses, described as legumes, are rich in protein and micronutrients and are an important food choice for health and well-being. However, most Canadians consume very little pulse-based food.

OBJECTIVE

This pilot study sought to investigate outcomes of a teacher-led, school-based food literacy intervention focused on the Pulses Make Perfect Sense (PMPS) program in 2 high schools in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

METHODS

Both high schools were selected using a convenience sampling technique and have similar sociodemographic characteristics. The mean age of students was 16 years. The intervention comprised 7 key themes focused on pulses, which included defining pulses; health and nutritional benefits of pulses; incorporating pulses into meals; the role of pulses in reducing environmental stressors, food insecurity, and malnutrition; product development; taste testing and sensory analysis; and pulses around the world. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes, practices, and barriers regarding pulse consumption in students at baseline and study end. Teachers were interviewed at the end of the intervention. Descriptive statistics and the nonparametric Mann-Whitney U test were used for analysis.

RESULTS

In total, 41 and 32 students participated in the baseline and study-end assessments, respectively. At baseline, the median knowledge score was 9, attitude score was 6, and barrier score was 0. At study end, the median knowledge score was 10, attitude score was 7, and barrier score was 1. A lower score for barriers indicated fewer barriers to pulse consumption. There was a significant difference between baseline and study-end scores in knowledge (P<.05). Barriers to pulse consumption included parents not cooking or consuming pulses at home, participants not liking the taste of pulses, and participants often preferring other food choices over pulses. The teachers indicated that the pulse food-literacy teaching resources were informative, locally available, and easy to use.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite the improvements in knowledge, attitude, and practice, pulse consumption did not change significantly at the end of the intervention. Future studies with larger samples are needed to determine the impact of PMPS on knowledge, attitude, and practice of high school students.

Legume consumption in adults and risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives

This study aimed to systematically review the evidence for associations between consumption of legumes and cardiovascular disease (CVD), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and their risk factors among healthy adults.

Methods

We searched MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus up to 16 May 2022 for ≥4 weeks long randomized (RCT) and non-randomized controlled trials and prospective cohort studies with follow-up ≥12 months, assessing legume intake (beans/lentils/peas/soybeans, excluding peanuts and legume-products/protein/powder/flour) as the intervention or exposure. Outcomes were CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, T2D and in intervention trials only: changes in blood lipids, glycemic markers, and blood pressure. Risk of bias (RoB) was evaluated with Cochrane's RoB2, ROBINS-I, and US Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s RoB-NObS. Effect sizes were pooled using random-effects meta-analyses and expressed as relative risk or weighed mean differences with 95% confidence intervals, heterogeneity quantified as I². The evidence was appraised according to World Cancer Research Fund's criteria.

Results

Of the 181 full-text articles assessed for eligibility, 47 were included: 31 cohort studies (2,081,432 participants with generally low legume consumption), 14 crossover RCTs (448 participants), one parallel RCT and one non-randomized trial. Meta-analyses of cohort studies were suggestive of null associations for CVD, CHD, stroke and T2D. Meta-analyses of RCTs suggested a protective effect on total cholesterol (mean difference -0.22 mmol/L), low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (-0.19 mmol/L), fasting glucose (-0.19 mmol/L), and HOMA-IR (-0.30). Heterogeneity was high (I² = 52% for LDL-cholesterol, >75% for others). The overall evidence for associations between consumption of legumes and risk of CVD and T2D was considered limited - no conclusion.

Conclusion

Legume consumption was not found to influence risk of CVD and T2D in healthy adult populations with generally low legume consumption. However, protective effects on risk factors, seen in RCTs, lend some support for recommending legume consumption as part of diverse and healthy dietary patterns for prevention of CVD and T2D.

The Pulse of It: Dietary Inclusion of Up to 45% Whole Pulse Ingredients with Chicken Meal and Pea Starch in a Complete and Balanced Diet Does Not Affect Cardiac Function, Fasted Sulfur Amino Acid Status, or Other Gross Measures of Health in Adult Dogs

BACKGROUND

Pulses are an attractive alternative protein source for all mammals; however, recent reports suggest that these ingredients may be related to developing dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs.

OBJECTIVES

The primary objective of this study was to quantify the effects of dietary pulse intake by adult dogs on cardiac function using echocardiographic measurements and cardiac biomarkers N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponin I (cTnI). Second, to investigate the effects of pulse consumption on plasma sulfur amino acid (SAA) concentrations as pulses are generally low in SAA and may limit taurine synthesis. Last, to assess the general safety and efficacy of feeding pulse-containing diets on canine body composition and hematological and biochemical indices.

METHODS

Twenty-eight privately-owned domestic Siberian Huskies (13 females; 4 intact, and 15 males; 6 intact) with a mean age of 5.3 ± 2.8 y (± SD) were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (n = 7/treatment), with equal micronutrient supplementation and increasing whole pulse ingredient inclusion (0%, 15%, 30%, and 45%) with pea starch used to balance protein and energy.

RESULTS

After 20 wks of feeding, there were no differences (P > 0.05) in echocardiographic parameters, N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, and cTnI concentrations among treatments or across time within treatment (P > 0.05), indicating no differences in cardiac function among treatments. Concentrations of cTnI remained below the safe upper limit of 0.2 ng/mL for all dogs. Plasma SAA status, body composition, and hematological and biochemical indices were similar among treatments and over time (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results from this study suggest that increasing the inclusion of pulses up to 45% with the removal of grains and equal micronutrient supplementation does not impact cardiac function concurrent with dilated cardiomyopathy, body composition, or SAA status and is safe for healthy adult dogs to consume when fed for 20 wks.

Consumption of Common Bean Suppresses the Obesogenic Increase in Adipose Depot Mass: Impact of Dose and Biological Sex

Obesity prevention is stated as a simple objective in the public health guidelines of most countries: avoid adult weight gain. However, the success of the global population in accomplishing this goal is limited as reflected in the persisting pandemic of overweight and obesity. While many intervention strategies have been proposed, most are directed at mitigating the consequences of obesity. Efforts intended to prevent unintentional weight gain and associated adiposity are termed anti-obesogenic. Herein, evidence is presented that a neglected category of foods, pulses, i.e., grain legumes, have anti-obesogenic activity. Using a preclinical mouse model of obesity, a dose-response study design in animals of both biological sexes, and cooked, freeze-dried, and milled common bean as a representative pulse, data are presented showing that the rate of body weight gain is slowed, and fat accumulation is suppressed when 70% of the dietary protein is provided from common bean. These anti-obesogenic effects are reduced at lower amounts of common bean (17.5% or 35%). The anti-obesogenic responsiveness is greater in female than in male mice. RNA sequence analysis indicates that the sex-related differences extend to gene expression patterns, particularly those related to immune regulation within adipose tissue. In addition, our findings indicate the potential value of a precision nutrition approach for human intervention studies that identify "pulse anti-obesogenic responders". A precision approach may reduce the concentration of pulses required in the diet for benefits, but candidate biomarkers of responsivity to pulse consumption remain to be determined.

Generating Multi-Functional Pulse Ingredients for Processed Meat Products-Scientific Evaluation of Infrared-Treated Lentils

In the last decade, various foods have been reformulated with plant protein ingredients to enhance plant-based food intake in our diet. Pulses are in the forefront as protein-rich sources to aid in providing sufficient daily protein intake and may be used as binders to reduce meat protein in product formulations. Pulses are seen as clean-label ingredients that bring benefits to meat products beyond protein content. Pulse flours may need pre-treatments because their endogenous bioactive components may not always be beneficial to meat products. Infrared (IR) treatment is a highly energy-efficient and environmentally friendly method of heating foods, creating diversity in plant-based ingredient functionality. This review discusses using IR-heating technology to modify the properties of pulses and their usefulness in comminuted meat products, with a major emphasis on lentils. IR heating enhances liquid-binding and emulsifying properties, inactivates oxidative enzymes, reduces antinutritional factors, and protects antioxidative properties of pulses. Meat products benefit from IR-treated pulse ingredients, showing improvements in product yields, oxidative stability, and nutrient availability while maintaining desired texture. IR-treated lentil-based ingredients, in particular, also enhance the raw color stability of beef burgers. Therefore, developing pulse-enriched meat products will be a viable approach toward the sustainable production of meat products.

Non-Volatile Compounds Involved in Bitterness and Astringency of Pulses: A Review

Despite the many advantages of pulses, they are characterised by off-flavours that limit their consumption. Off-notes, bitterness and astringency contribute to negative perceptions of pulses. Several hypotheses have assumed that non-volatile compounds, including saponins, phenolic compounds, and alkaloids, are responsible for pulse bitterness and astringency. This review aims to provide an overview highlighting the non-volatile compounds identified in pulses and their bitter and/or astringent characteristics to suggest their potential involvement in pulse off-flavours. Sensorial analyses are mainly used to describe the bitterness and astringency of molecules. However, in vitro cellular assays have shown the activation of bitter taste receptors by many phenolic compounds, suggesting their potential involvement in pulse bitterness. A better knowledge of the non-volatile compounds involved in the off-flavours should enable the creation of efficient strategies to limit their impact on overall perception and increase consumer acceptability.

'Raising the Pulse': The environmental, nutritional and health benefits of pulse-enhanced foods

Diet is a key modulator of non-communicable diseases, and food production represents a major cause of environmental degradation and greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, 'nudging' people to make better food choices is challenging, as factors including affordability, convenience and taste often take priority over the achievement of health and environmental benefits. The overall 'Raising the Pulse' project aim is to bring about a step change in the nutritional value of the UK consumers' diet, and to do so in a way that leads to improved health and greater sustainability within the UK food system. To achieve our objectives, UK-specific faba bean production systems that optimise both end users' diets and environmental and economic sustainability of production will be implemented in collaboration with key stakeholders (including industry, the retail sector and government). Palatable faba bean flours will be produced and used to develop 'Raising the Pulse' food products with improved nutritional profile and environmental value. Consumer focus groups and workshops will establish attitudes, preferences, drivers of and barriers to increased consumption of such products. They will inform the co-creation of sensory testing and University-wide intervention studies to evaluate the effects of pulses and 'Raising the Pulse' foods on diet quality, self-reported satiety, nutritional knowledge, consumer acceptance and market potential. Nutrient bioavailability and satiety will be evaluated in a randomised-controlled postprandial human study. Finally, a system model will be developed that predicts changes to land use, environment, business viability, nutrition and human health after substitution of existing less nutritionally beneficial and environmentally sustainable ingredients with pulses. Government health and sustainability priorities will be addressed, helping to define policy-relevant solutions with significant beneficial supply chain economic impacts and transformed sustainable food systems to improve consumer diet quality, health and the environment.

Health versus environmental benefits: Does additional information influence consumer acceptance of pulse-based spreads?

Despite the known health benefits and the potential for substituting less environmentally sustainable consumed foods such as meat, the current intake of pulses in developed countries remains less than recommended. Barriers are related to sensory characteristics and lack of knowledge about preparation, while drivers of environmental benefits are intangible. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of additional information about health or environmental benefits of pulses on the acceptance of novel pulse-based products from chickpeas, black beans, and faba beans. Perceptions of these pulse-based spreads in a blind and informed stage were assessed with 202 consumers in urban and suburban areas of Denmark. In general, the familiar chickpea spread followed by the relatively most unfamiliar black bean spread was liked the most. Only for these two products, additional information increased hedonic perception, regardless of the context (health or environmental benefits). If consumers did not like the spread, as found for the faba bean spread, providing additional information did not significantly alter this perception. Participants' preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) in a discrete choice experiment corresponded to hedonic scores, whereas providing additional information increased the WTP. These findings suggest that extrinsic cues such as health or environmental benefits may only be useful in products with an acceptable baseline taste profile. Moreover, black beans might be investigated as a promising source for further product development due to their acceptance by consumers besides being the comparably most unfamiliar pulse type.

Bread-making properties of different pulse flours in composites with refined wheat flour

There has been a growing demand for pulses due to the nutrition, health benefits, and agronomical advantages, along with the recommendation of international organizations to diversify the use of pulses. Lentil, yellow pea, and chickpea were studied for their effect on the quality of the bread when incorporated into refined wheat flour. The pulse grains were roller milled into different particle sizes (small: 44-59 μm, medium: 70-85 μm, and large: 95-104 μm) with similar composition, and each refined pulse flour was incorporated in refined wheat flour at levels of 5, 12.5, and 20% (wt/wt). The flours were characterized for particle size distribution, starch damage, proximate composition, water retention, and dough mixing properties, followed by baking test and texture analysis. The particle size of the pulse flours did not significantly affect the bread volume or the texture, while increasing the pulse flour incorporation decreased the bread specific volume from 5.0 to 3.4 cm³ /g and the hardness of the bread increased from 3.9 to 9.9 N at the maximum incorporation level. The crust color darkened as pulse flour incorporation was increased, while the effect on crumb color was marginable. Among the three pulses, chickpea performed better compared to lentil and yellow pea, and yellow pea resulted in bread with lower volume at all levels of incorporation. Enriched bread can be produced by incorporating pulse flours at up to 12.5% (wt/wt) without significant effect on the quality of bread, with chickpeas possessing better baking properties than yellow pea or lentil.

Prebiotic mechanisms of resistant starches from dietary beans and pulses on gut microbiome and metabolic health in a humanized murine model of aging

Dietary pulses, being a rich source of fiber and proteins, offer an ideal and inexpensive food choice for older adults to promote gut and metabolic health. However, the prebiotic effects of dietary pulses-derived resistant starches (RS), compared to RS from cereals and tubers, remain relatively underexplored, particularly in context to their gut modulatory potential in old age. We herein investigate the prebiotic effects of pulses-derived RS on the gut microbiome and intestinal health in aged (60-week old) mice colonized with human microbiota. C57B6/J mice were fed for 20 weeks with either a western-style high-fat diet (control; CTL) or CTL diet supplemented (5% w/w) with RS from pinto beans (PTB), black-eyed-peas (BEP), lentils (LEN), chickpeas (CKP), or inulin (INU; reference control). We find that the RS supplementation modulates gut microbiome in a sex-dependent manner. For instance, CKP enriched α-diversity only in females, while β-diversity deviated for both sexes. Further, different RS groups exhibited distinct microbiome differences at bacterial phyla and genera levels. Notably, LEN fostered Firmicutes and depleted Proteobacteria abundance, whereas Bacteroidota was promoted by CKP and INU. Genus Dubosiella increased dominantly in males for all groups except PTB, whilst Faecalibaculum decreased in females by CKP and INU groups. Linear discriminant analysis effect size (LEfSe) and correlational analyzes reveal RS-mediated upregulation of key bacterial genera associated with short-chain fatty acids (butyrate) production and suppression of specific pathobionts. Subsequent machine-learning analysis validate decreased abundance of notorious genera, namely, Enterococcus, Odoribacter, Desulfovibrio, Alistipes and Erysipelatoclostridium among RS groups. CKP and LEN groups partly protected males against post-prandial glycemia. Importantly, RS ameliorated high-fat diet-induced gut hyperpermeability and enhanced expression of tight-junction proteins (claudin-1 and claudin-4), which were more pronounced for LEN. In addition, IL10 upregulation was more prominent for LEN, while TNF-α was downregulated by LEN, CKP, and INU. Together, these findings demonstrate that RS supplementation beneficially modulates the gut microbiome with a reduction in gut leakiness and inflammation, indicating their prebiotic potential for functional food and nutritional applications.

Identification and Prevalence of Seedborne Botrytis spp. in Dry Pea, Lentil, and Chickpea in Montana

Botrytis spp. cause gray mold and are significant pathogens of pulse crops (dry pea, lentil, and chickpea). Seedling infection can result in plant stunting and death. In this study, 100 Botrytis isolates were recovered from pulse crop seed samples that were submitted to the Regional Pulse Crop Diagnostic Laboratory at Montana State University. Nine Botrytis spp. were found to be associated with pulse seeds in Montana based on a combination of cultural characteristics; the amplification of partial sequences of the G3PDH, HSP60, and RPB2 genes; and phylogenetic analysis. Botrytis cinerea (n = 54) was the predominant species, followed by B. euroamericana (n = 22) and B. prunorum (n = 11). There were a few isolates of B. mali and five novel Botrytis spp. that included one cryptic species. To determine the pathogenicity and aggressiveness of the isolates, dry pea cultivar Lifter, lentil cultivar Richlea, and chickpea cultivar Sierra, detached leaves were inoculated using mycelial plugs. Lesion diameter produced by Botrytis isolates on three hosts differed (P < 0.05). Aggressiveness of B. cinerea was high in all three hosts and varied among the tested isolates. Spore inoculations were conducted on greenhouse-grown dry pea, lentil and chickpea plants using one sporulating isolate each of B. cinerea, B. prunorum, and Botrytis sp. 1. Results indicated that these isolates were pathogenic on the tested hosts. This study illustrates that many species of Botrytis are associated with pulse crop seed in Montana and can be aggressive on multiple crops, which may have implications for disease management.

Comparison of echocardiography, biomarkers and taurine concentrations in cats eating high- or low-pulse diets

OBJECTIVES

There are ongoing investigations into diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in dogs, but there has been minimal investigation into possible diet-associated dilated cardiomyopathy in cats. The objective of this study was to compare cardiac size and function, cardiac biomarkers and taurine concentrations in healthy cats eating high- vs low-pulse diets. We hypothesized that cats eating high-pulse diets would have larger hearts, lower systolic function and higher biomarker concentrations than cats eating low-pulse diets and that there would be no difference in taurine concentrations between the diet groups.

METHODS

Echocardiographic measurements, cardiac biomarkers, and plasma and whole-blood taurine concentrations were compared between cats eating high- and low-pulse commercial dry diets in a cross-sectional study.

RESULTS

There were no differences between the high- (n = 21) and low-pulse (n = 31) diet groups with regard to age, sex and breed, but more cats in the high-pulse group were overweight or obese (67% vs 39%; P = 0.05). Diet duration was not different in the groups, but the range was wide (6-120 months). No differences were found between the diet groups for key cardiac measurements, biomarker concentrations, or plasma or whole-blood taurine concentrations. However, there were significant negative correlations between diet duration and measures of left ventricular wall thickness in the high-pulse, but not the low-pulse, diet group.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study did not detect significant associations between high-pulse diets and cardiac size, function and biomarkers, but the secondary observation of significant negative correlations between time on high-pulse diets and left ventricular wall thickness warrants further evaluation.

Low glycemic index common bean snack increased satiety without modifying energy intake in adults with normal weight: randomized crossover trials

This study aimed to evaluate the short-term effect of a common bean baked snack (CBBS) and cooked bean consumption on energy intake, satiety, glycemic response, and palatability in subjects with normal weight (Study 1) and overweight (Study 2) and to determine the glycemic index of CBBS (Study 3). For studies 1 and 2, satiety and glycemic response were measured over 45 min after consuming CBBS, cooked beans or white bread preload, and energy intake at an ad libitum test meal was calculated. Energy intake remained similar after consuming the three preloads in both studies. Compared to white bread, CBBS consumption increased fullness by 52% in subjects with normal weight but not in those with overweight. The CBBS calculated glycemic index was considered low (42). Consumption of low glycemic index CBBS increased satiety in adults with a normal weight. Long-term trials assessing the effects on body weight management are necessary.

Thwarting Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD) with Common Bean: Dose- and Sex-Dependent Protection against Hepatic Steatosis

Hepatic steatosis signifies onset of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) caused by disrupted metabolic homeostasis compromising liver function. Regular consumption of common beans reduces the risk of metabolic impairment, but its effective dose, the impact of biological sex, and underlying mechanisms of action are unknown. We fed female and male C57BL6/J mice with obesogenic yet isocaloric diets containing 0%, 17.5%, 35%, and 70% of total dietary protein derived from cooked whole common beans. Liver tissue was collected for histopathology, lipid quantification, and RNA-seq analyses. Beans qualitatively and quantitatively diminished hepatic fat deposition at the 35% dose in female and 70% dose in male mice. Bean-induced differentially expressed genes (DEGs) most significantly mapped to hepatic steatosis and revealed dose-responsive inhibition of de novo lipogenesis markers (Acly, Acaca, Fasn, Elovl6, Scd1, etc.) and triacylglycerol biosynthesis, activation of triacylglycerol degradation, and downregulation of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) signaling. Upregulated fatty acid β-oxidation was more prominent in females, while suppression of Cd36-mediated fatty acid uptake-in males. Sex-dependent bean effects also involved DEGs patterns downstream of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α (PPARα) and MLX-interacting protein-like (MLXIPL). Therefore, biological sex determines amount of common bean in the diet required to prevent hepatic lipid accumulation.

Legume Intake, Body Weight, and Abdominal Adiposity: 10-Year Weight Change and Cross-Sectional Results in 15,185 U.S. Adults

There were three objectives: (1) evaluate the relationship between legume intake and weight change across the previous 10 years, (2) examine the cross-sectional associations between legume consumption, BMI, and abdominal adiposity, and (3) determine if the relationship between legume intake and the outcomes were influenced by multiple covariates, particularly fiber intake. The sample included 15,185 randomly selected adults representative of the U.S. population. Percent change in weight was used as the outcome measure for the 10-year analysis. BMI, and waist circumference, corrected for height, were employed as the outcomes for the cross-sectional analyses. Legume, fiber, and energy intakes were measured using the average of two 24-h dietary recalls. Legume intake was divided into three categories. Five demographic and five lifestyle covariates were controlled statistically. There was an inverse dose-response relationship between legume intake and percent weight change over the previous 10 years after adjusting for 9 of the covariates (F = 6.5, p = 0.0028). However, after controlling for fiber with the other covariates, there were no differences across the three legume intake groups (F = 1.9, p = 0.1626). The cross-sectional findings showed similar inverse dose-response results until fiber intake was controlled. Then the associations became non-significant. In conclusion, legume intake is a good predictor of percent weight change over the previous 10 years, and it is also a significant predictor of BMI and abdominal adiposity cross-sectionally. These relationships are strongly influenced by fiber consumption. Evidently, legumes have dietary advantages, especially high fiber levels, that seem to be valuable in the battle against weight gain and obesity.

The impact of protein source and grain inclusion on digestibility, fecal metabolites, and fecal microbiome in adult canines

This study was conducted to determine the effect of animal protein inclusion rate and grain-free or grain-inclusive diets on macronutrient digestibility, fecal characteristics, metabolites, and microbiota in mixed-breed hounds and Beagles. Four experimental extruded kibble diets were made with varying amounts of animal protein and carbohydrates: 1) high animal protein, grain-inclusive (HA-GI), 2) low animal protein, grain-free (LA-GF), 3) low animal protein, grain-inclusive (LA-GI), and 4) high animal protein, grain-free (HA-GF). Thirty-two Beagles and 33 mixed-breed hounds were assigned to 1 of the 4 treatment groups in a completely randomized design that lasted 180 d. All diets were similar in chemical composition and well-digested by the animals. In general, for fecal metabolites, mixed-breed hounds had a greater concentration of total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) and ammonia and lower indole concentration than Beagles (P < 0.05). In mixed-breed hounds, LA-GF had a greater (P < 0.05) total SCFA concentration than HA-GI and LA-GI; however, this was not observed in Beagles. There were greater concentrations of ammonia, phenol, and indole in HA-GI than in LA-GF (P < 0.05). Breed-affected fecal primary bile acid (BA) concentration, as mixed-breed hounds had a greater concentration of cholic acid (CA) than Beagles (P < 0.05). Mixed-breed hounds fed LA-GF resulted in greater CA concentrations than HA-GI and LA-GI (P < 0.05). Dogs who consumed LA-GF had lower fecal secondary BA content than the other groups (P < 0.05). The distribution of the fecal microbiota community differed in LA-GF compared with the other groups, with lower α-diversity. However, dogs fed LA-GF had the largest difference in composition with greater Selenomonadaceae, Veillonellaceae, Lactobacillaceae, Streptococcus, Ligilactobacillus, Megamonas, Collinsella aerofaciens, and Bifidobacterium sp. than the other groups. A significant breed effect was noted on nutrient digestibility, fecal metabolites, and microbiota. A treatment effect was observed in LA-GF as it resulted in greater fecal SCFA, lower protein fermentative end products, greater fecal primary BAs, lower fecal secondary BA concentrations, and shifts in fecal microbiota.

Nutrients, Phytic Acid and Bioactive Compounds in Marketable Pulses

Pulses are edible seeds of plants belonging to the legume family, which are of great importance for human and animal nutrition. In this study, several nutrients, antinutrients and bioactive compounds were quantified in the seeds of ten pulses, i.e., common and runner beans, field peas, lupins (white, blue and yellow), faba beans, lentils (brown and red) and chickpeas. Homogenised, air-dried seed samples were analysed for various parameters: protein (18.0-43.1%), fat (0.6-18.5%) and phytic acid content (507-2566 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)), phenolic profile (27 phenolic compounds in total) and multi-mineral composition. The analysed phenolic compounds mainly belong to phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids) and/or flavonoids (flavones, flavonols and flavanols). Total phenolic content (TPC) ranged from 719 μg/g DW in chickpeas to 5012 μg/g DW in common beans. A total of ten elements belonging to macro- (Mg, P, S, K and Ca) and micro-minerals (Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn and Mo) were determined. Using cluster analysis, pulses were divided into three groups according to the parameters studied: 1. common and runner bean; 2. field pea, white and blue lupin, faba bean, red and brown lentil and chickpea; and 3. yellow lupin. The most varying phytochemicals in terms of their content in the analysed pulses were phytic acid, quinic acid, catechin and TPC. A perfect positive significant Pearson correlation (1.00) was observed for six pairs of variables within the group of phenolic compounds.

Pasta from Red Lentils (Lens culinaris): The Effect of Pasta-Making Process on Starch and Protein Features, and Cooking Behavior

The effect of pasta-making processes on starch and protein features, as well as cooking behavior, and nutritional properties (i.e., resistant starch and starch in vitro digestibility) were assessed. Pasta from raw red lentils (R) was prepared by conventional extrusion (C_R) and extrusion-cooking (EC_R), whereas heat-treated red lentils (HT) were processed into pasta by conventional extrusion (C_HT). A "high protein" and "high fiber" pasta was prepared. Using HT was effective in increasing the luminosity (that was about 88, 91, and 96 for EC_R, C_R, and C_HT, respectively), and decreasing the presence of defects on the pasta surface (heterogeneity was 5%, 36%, and 45% for C_HT, EC_R, and C_R, respectively). Heat treatment on grains or flour significantly increased starch susceptibility to α-amylase (6.6, 7.4, and 8.6% for C_R, C_HT, and EC_R, respectively) and decreased the final viscosity (from 335 BU in C_R to 287 and 291 BU in EC_R and C_HT), resulting in a significant increase in starch digestibility (slowly digestible starch was about 41, 27, and 26% in C_R, C_HT, and EC_R, respectively). As regards proteins, the main effect on their structure was observed in C_HT, where the cooking behavior was much improved and cooking losses were lowest (5.7%). On the other hand, protein and starch organization in EC_R might have accounted for pasta resistance in overcooking.

Characterization of a Collection of Colored Lentil Genetic Resources Using a Novel Computer Vision Approach

The lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) is one of the major pulse crops cultivated worldwide. However, in the last decades, lentil cultivation has decreased in many areas surrounding Mediterranean countries due to low yields, new lifestyles, and changed eating habits. Thus, many landraces and local varieties have disappeared, while local farmers are the only custodians of the treasure of lentil genetic resources. Recently, the lentil has been rediscovered to meet the needs of more sustainable agriculture and food systems. Here, we proposed an image analysis approach that, besides being a rapid and non-destructive method, can characterize seed size grading and seed coat morphology. The results indicated that image analysis can give much more detailed and precise descriptions of grain size and shape characteristics than can be practically achieved by manual quality assessment. Lentil size measurements combined with seed coat descriptors and the color attributes of the grains allowed us to develop an algorithm that was able to identify 64 red lentil genotypes collected at ICARDA with an accuracy approaching 98% for seed size grading and close to 93% for the classification of seed coat morphology.

Sensory characterization of yellow pea and ground chicken hybrid meat burgers using static and dynamic methodologies

To reduce animal protein consumption, new food products need to be created. Furthermore, there is a growing number of consumers who consciously act to reduce their meat consumption. Hybrid meat products (HMP) are food items that combine both plant and animal proteins. The objective of this study was to create a hybrid meat burger (HMB) using yellow pea and chicken and to evaluate the sensory properties of the new product using static (check-all-that-apply [CATA]) and dynamic (temporal check-all-that-apply [TCATA]) methods. Yellow pea flour was added to a chicken burger at 0% (control), 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%. A sensory trial asked participants (n = 69) to evaluate the HMBs using hedonic scales and CATA. A second sensory trial asked experienced panelists (n = 14) to evaluate the items using TCATA. The addition of the yellow pea flour decreased the liking of the burgers, except for the 10% formulation. The burgers made with higher amounts of yellow pea were associated with off-flavors (beany and nutty; significantly different from the control) during both CATA and TCATA tasks and detracted from consumers' liking. Juicy, moist, meaty, salty, and soft attributes increased the consumers' liking. The study identified that the addition of yellow pea to chicken burgers is only acceptable to consumers in small quantities (10%). In addition, the yellow peas contributed off-flavors and a dry texture that was disliked by the consumers. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The environmental impacts of livestock production have created a need to incorporate more plant-based proteins into consumers' diets to increase sustainability. The market for meat alternatives, including hybrid meat products, is expanding; however, current products do not always meet consumers' expectations. Chicken is the fastest-growing meat sector in North America, and therefore this study's objective was to determine the sensory properties of a burger made from chicken and pulses (yellow pea). It was found that if 10% of chicken in a burger was substituted with yellow pea, then the sensory properties and consumer liking were not significantly affected.

In Vitro Gastrointestinal Bioaccessibility, Bioactivities and Colonic Fermentation of Phenolic Compounds in Different Vigna Beans

Beans are widely consumed throughout the world, rich in non-nutrient phenolic compounds and other bioactive constituents, including alkaloids, lectins, and others. However, research about in vitro digestion impacts on the changes of bioactive compounds' release and related antioxidant potential in different Vigna beans is limited. This research aimed to assess the modifications that occur in the content and bioaccessibility of phenolic compounds in four Vigna samples (adzuki bean, black urid whole, black eye bean, and mung bean), their antioxidant properties, and short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) production through static in vitro gastrointestinal digestion and colonic fermentation. Adzuki bean exhibited relatively higher total phenolic content (TPC; 4.76 mg GAE/g) and antioxidant activities after in vitro digestion. The black eye beans' total flavonoid content (0.74 mg QE/g) and total condensed tannins (10.43 mg CE/g) displayed higher tendencies. For colonic fermentation, the greatest TPC value of entire samples was detected through a 2-h reaction. In most selected beans, phenolic compounds were comparably more bioaccessible during the oral phase. Acetic acid showed the highest level through SCFAs production, and the total SCFAs in adzuki beans was the greatest (0.021 mmol/L) after 16-h fermentation. Adzuki beans may be more beneficial to gut health and possess a stronger antioxidant potential after consumption.

Butterfly Pea Flower as a Novel Ingredient to Produce Antioxidant-Enriched Yellow Pea-Based Breakfast Cereals

Butterfly pea flower (BP) is a rich source of bioactive components and can potentially be utilized to produce appealing, wholesome foods. Antioxidant and dietary fiber-enriched breakfast cereals were produced by extrusion cooking using blends of BP and yellow pea flour (YP). BP was added to YP at 0%, 5% and 10% levels (w/w), respectively, and extruded at two temperature profiles with die temperatures of 130 and 150 °C. Incorporation of BP significantly (p < 0.05) improved the total phenolics content, antioxidant properties, and insoluble and total dietary fiber content of the extrudates, with 10% BP extrudates showing the highest values. At a die temperature of 150 °C, the extrudates had a higher expansion ratio, a lower dry hardness, and a higher dry crispiness as compared to those at 130 °C. The color of BP-incorporated extrudates was darker and bluer as compared to the no-BP extrudates. The 10% BP extrudates retained relatively more of their hardness, crispiness, and crunchiness after soaking, indicating a better bowl-life and, therefore, better suitability of this blend formula for breakfast cereal production. Overall, this research shows that healthier breakfast cereals with appealing color and relatively longer bowl-life can be produced using BP, making BP a potential novel ingredient for extrusion formulations.

Quality and health dimensions of pulse-based dairy alternatives with chickpeas, lupins and mung beans

Health and environmental issues regarding dairy consumption have been highlighted in recent years leading to tremendous consumer demand for plant-based substitutes. In this review, we focused on quality and health dimensions of pulse-based dairy alternatives (PuBDA) using chickpeas, lupins and mung beans. Appraisal of existing documents show that there is limited information on PuBDA with the said pulses compared to similar materials such as soy and pea. Most of the studies focused on milk or fermented milks, either in full or partial substitution of the dairy ingredients with the pulses. Issues on stability, sensory properties, shelf life and nutritional quality were underlined by existing literature. Although it was emphasized in some reports the health potential through the bioactive components, there is scarce data on clinical studies showing actual health benefits of the featured PuBDA in this paper. There is also a scant number of these PuBDA that are currently available in the market and in general, these products have inferior nutritional quality compared to the animal-based counterparts. Technological innovations involving physical, biological and chemical techniques can potentially address the quality problems in the use of chickpeas, lupins, and mung beans as raw materials in dairy alternatives.

Occurrence of mycotoxins in pulses

Pulses, dry grains of the Fabaceae family used for food and feed, are particularly important agricultural products with increasing commercial and nutritional relevance. Similar to other plant commodities, pulses can be affected by fungi in the field and during postharvest. Some of these fungi produce mycotoxins, which can seriously threaten human and animal health by causing acute poisoning and chronic effects. In this review, information referring to the analysis and occurrence of these compounds in pulses is summarized. An overview of the aims pursued, and of the methodologies employed for mycotoxin analysis in the different reports is presented, followed by a comprehensive review of relevant articles on mycotoxins in pulses, categorized according to the geographical region, among other considerations. Moreover, special attention was given to the effect of climatic conditions on microorganism infestation and mycotoxin accumulation. Furthermore, the limited literature available was considered to look for possible correlations between the degree of fungal infection and the mycotoxin incidence in pulses. In addition, the potential effect of certain phenolic compounds on reducing fungi infestation and mycotoxin accumulation was reviewed with examples on beans. Emphasis was also given to a specific group of mycotoxins, the phomopsins, that mainly impact lupin. Finally, the negative consequences of mycotoxin accumulation on the physiology and development of contaminated seeds and seedlings are presented, focusing on the few reports available on pulses. Given the agricultural and nutritional potential that pulses offer for human well-being, their promotion should be accompanied by attention to food safety issues, and mycotoxins might be among the most serious threats. Practical Application: According to the manuscript template available in the website, this section is for "JFS original research manuscripts ONLY; optional". Since we are publishing in CRFSFS this requirement will not be done.

A Modified Ultra-Sensitive ELISA for Measurement of LH in Mice

A major obstacle to monitoring pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in mice has been an assay with sufficient sensitivity in small blood volumes. In 2013, Steyn and colleagues published a highly sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that overcame this barrier by coupling a duo of LH antibodies effective in accurately measuring LH in 4-µL whole-blood aliquots. To address the unavailability of the original detection antibody, AFP240580Rb, we validated a replacement detection antibody, biotinylated-5303 SPRN-5, to be used within the established ELISA. This modified LH ELISA demonstrated a minimum detection limit of 0.0028 ng/mL and a limit of quantification of 0.0333 ng/mL or 0.0666 ng/mL in diluted whole-blood samples of volume 6.4 µL (1:10) or 3.2 µL (1:20), respectively. Detection antibody 5303 SPRN-5 demonstrated parallelism, high precision, and accuracy across the standard curve. LH concentrations in comparison assays, using either 5303 SPRN-5 or AFP240580Rb, were highly correlated (R2 = 0.9829) and demonstrated LH pulse profiles from gonadectomized mice that were nearly superimposable. Pulsatile LH secretion was demonstrated in gonad-intact males and diestrous females and basal LH levels measured with 5303 SPRN-5 were approximately 5-fold higher than the limit of quantification. In addition, we document utility of this new LH ELISA to accurately measure LH in whole blood or serum across multiple sampling sites, as well as in pituitary extracts, LβT2 cells, or media. In summary, the modified LH ELISA described here is highly effective in measuring LH across a range of sample types and small volumes in mice.

Modeling the Thermal Denaturation of the Protein-Water System in Pulses (Lentils, Beans, and Chickpeas)

Thermal treatment applied during the cooking of pulses leads to denaturation and even aggregation of the proteins, which may impact protein digestibility. Thermal transitions of lentil, chickpea, and bean proteins were studied using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Protein-enriched samples were obtained by dry air classification of dehulled seeds and were heated to 160 °C, with water contents ranging from 0.2 to 4 kg/kg on a dry basis. The DSC peaks of the resulting endotherms were successfully modeled as overlapping Gaussian functions. The denaturation temperatures were modeled as a function of the temperature according to the Flory-Huggins theory. The modeling allows for the calculation of the degree of protein transition for any temperature and moisture condition. The denaturation diagrams reflect the different protein compositions of lentil, chickpea, and bean (particularly the 11S/7S globulin ratio). Chickpea proteins were more thermally stable than those from lentil and bean. Proteins underwent an irreversible transition, suggesting that unfolding and aggregation were coupled.

Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Flour Varieties as Promising New Ingredients for Gluten-Free Cookies

Monotony in a gluten-free (GF) diet can be a challenge because of a limited choice of acceptable cereal sources. This study investigates the potential of five types of differently coloured lentils in the development of GF cookies using rice flour as a reference. Raw materials (lentil flours) and cookies were characterised in terms of physicochemical parameters (e.g., crude protein content, total phenolics and flavonoids, antioxidant properties, colour, pH); additionally, geometry, baking loss and texture profile were determined for the cookies. A sensory acceptance test was also conducted to find out consumer preferences regarding rice versus different lentil cookies. Results showed that lentil cookies were superior to rice control in terms of higher crude protein (12.1−14.8 vs. 3.8 g/100 g), phenolic (136.5−342.3 vs. 61.5 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g) and flavonoid (23.8−75.9 vs. 13.1 mg catechin equivalents/100 g) content and antioxidant capacity (0.60−1.81 vs. 0.35 mmol trolox equivalents/100 g), as well as lower hydroxymethyl-furfural content (<1 vs. 26.2 mg/kg). Consumers preferred lentil cookies to rice ones (overall liking: 6.1−7.0 vs. 5.6, significant differences for red and brown lentils), liking especially their taste (6.3−7.0 vs. 5.5). Depending on the target parameter, whether physicochemical or sensory, these lentil flours can be promising raw materials for GF bakery products.