Abstract
In the current climate of food security, quality aspects of legume crops have primary market economic and health impact. Legume proteins and peptides have been discovered to have a role far beyond supplying amino acids for growth and maintenance of body tissues. Several proteins (enzymatic inhibitors, lectins, storage globulins) and peptides derived from them (lunasin, hydrophobic peptides) have shown anticarcinogenic, hypocholesterolemic, glucose-lowering, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunostimulant properties. Further understanding of how structural features of legume proteins affect in vivo digestion and production of bioactive sequences represents a key step in the valorization of nutraceutical potentiality of legume proteins and peptides derived from them. In this work, the relationship between structure and bioavailability of protein and peptides are reviewed and discussed.
Highlights
IntroductionLegumes have a potential to add to the nutritional quality of foods and many options have been suggested for their inclusion in novel food preparation with improved nutritional and functional values
Further understanding of how structural features of legume proteins affect in vivo digestion and production of bioactive sequences represents a key step in the valorization of nutraceutical potentiality of legume proteins and peptides derived from them
Hydrophobic amino acids, together with cysteine, have been fou the small intestinal content of rats fed with legume proteins, further supporting th of the structural properties of these proteins on the overall nutritional quality [14]
Summary
Legumes have a potential to add to the nutritional quality of foods and many options have been suggested for their inclusion in novel food preparation with improved nutritional and functional values. Proteins represent one of the most concentrated nutrients in legumes, and they can be used as components in innovative human foods. Legumes have higher protein content than cereals: they represent a primary source of amino acids for humans. Dietary guidelines recommend increasing their consumption, especially in developed countries, due to their potential health benefits. They represent main sources of proteins and minerals (iron, zinc, calcium), while having a low amount of lipids, with the exception of soybean, peanut, and lupin (30–35%). Legumes are a primary source of total dietary fiber (up to 37%) [1] For this reason, they are a low-glycaemic food [2]. It is worth reminding that most of these components have originally been considered as antinutrients, because of their adverse effects on nutrient metabolism [1]
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