Faba Bean Properties, Functionality, and its Applications

Abstract

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an ancient food and fodder crop, probably from the Mediterranean originally although remains of the broad bean have been found in Egyptian tombs and prehistoric sites all over Europe. It was a valuable crop and is still widely consumed in many parts of the world. Grains vary in size and shape, but usually are nearly round and white, green, buff, brown, purple, or black. Faba beans are a good alternative to expensive meat and fish protein. The longevity of their storage life, their ease of transportation, and their low cost are attractive points for farmers. Faba bean grains are used as a cooked vegetable as well as livestock feed. It is used as medicinal drug for kidney stones, liver malfunctioning, and eye diseases. The beans are rich source of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, the biological value of the beans is negatively affected by the presence of antinutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitors, condensed tannins, phytic acid, saponins, lectins, and favism-inducing factors. Removal of these antinutritional factors is therefore necessary for the effective utilization of food legumes in human nutrition. Some of these factors are readily destroyed by heat processing or can be eliminated by pretreatments such as de-hulling or soaking. Nevertheless, these treatments may produce physic-chemical changes in protein and starch and losses of vitamins and minerals, affecting the final nutritional properties. Therefore, the aim of this chapter is to impart knowledge of the faba bean grain, its processing and utilization, and the details of the extent to which nutrients and antinutrients remain present in the beans after applying different processing and cooking treatments. The chapter will also elaborate about the history, seed composition, properties, nutritional values, and health benefits of different products.