Underutilized Legume Research Articles

Selection criteria and yield stability in a large collection of African yam bean [Sphenostylis stenocarpa (Hochst ex. A. Rich) Harms] accessions

Abstract African yam bean (AYB) is an underutilized legume with significant potential for food security in sub-Saharan Africa, yet limited research exists on optimizing its seed yield through selective breeding. In this study, the seed yield (SY) performance and relative importance of some yield-related traits on SY in AYB were assessed. One hundred and ninety-six accessions of AYB were evaluated for 2 years in three agro-ecologies of Nigeria. The experimental design was a 14 × 14 lattice design with three replicates. Data were recorded on SY and 13 SY-related traits. Positive significant genotypic correlations were found between SY and 11 of these traits. Pod length (PL) had a negative significant relationship (rg = −0.44**) with SY. Path coefficient analysis identified days to maturity (DM), pod weight (PW), shelling percentage (SP), number of seeds per pod (NSPD), 100-seed weight (HSW) and seed thickness (ST) as traits with positive direct effects on SY. The additive main effect and multiplicative interaction analysis revealed highly significant accession, environment, accession × environment interaction and interaction principal components effects for SY. Accessions TSs-119, TSs-101, 138A, TSs-4, TSs-157A and TSs-61 were identified as superior and stable, and should be considered for further breeding purposes. Selection criteria for improved SY in AYB should include DM, PW, SP, NSPD, HSW and ST. The identified stable, high-yielding accessions and key yield-related traits provide a framework for accelerating AYB improvement across diverse agro-ecologies.

Drought Response in the Transcriptome and Ionome of Wild and Domesticated Lablab purpureus L. Sweet, an Underutilized Legume.

Hunger remains a prevalent issue worldwide, and with a changing climate, it is expected to become an even greater problem that our food systems are not adapted to. There is therefore a need to investigate strategies to fortify our foods and food systems. Underutilized crops are farmed regionally, are often adapted to stresses, including droughts, and have great nutritional profiles, potentially being key for food security. One of these crops, Lablab purpureus L Sweet, or lablab, is a legume grown for humans or as fodder and shows remarkable drought tolerance. Understanding of lablab's molecular responses to drought and drought's effects on its nutritional qualities is limited and affects breeding potential. Using transcriptomics at three time points, changes in gene expression in response to drought were investigated in wild and domesticated lablab. The effect of drought on the elemental profile of lablab leaves was investigated using ionomics to assess drought's impact on nutritional quality. Differences in drought response between wild and domesticated lablab accessions were revealed, which were mainly due to differences in the expression of genes related to phosphorus metabolic response, cell wall organization, and cellular signaling. The leaves of wild and domesticated lablab accessions differed significantly in their elemental concentrations, with wild accessions having higher protein, zinc, and iron concentrations. Drought affected the concentration of some elements, with potential implications for the use of lablab under different environments. Overall, this study is an important first step in understanding drought response in lablab with implications for breeding and improvement of drought-tolerant lablab.

The Root-Tuber Trypsin Inhibitor of Winged Bean and Its Anti-cancerous Activity Against Osteosarcoma Cell-Line.

Trypsin inhibitor from the root-tuber of underutilized legume Winged bean (Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L.) DC.) (WbT-TI) was purified using ion exchange chromatography followed by size-exclusion chromatography. The purified WbT-TI showed a molecular mass of 20,609Da and an isoelectric point of 5.10. Ultraviolet circular dichroism (UV-CD) and intrinsic fluorescence reported, that WbT-TI interacts with trypsin. Domain-wise analysis of WbT-TI revealed it to belong to the Kunitz-type soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) family with a specific β-trefoil fold. The sequence of WbT-TI showed 44% sequence coverage to acidic trypsin inhibitor from the seed of the same plant. Protein interaction similarity analysis (PIPSA) evaluated the electrostatic properties of WbT-TI and provided information about the interacting partners of trypsin inhibitors. The purified protein was quantified and tested for in vitro anticancer activity using 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide(MTT) assay against the human osteosarcoma (MG-63) cell line. At 5µg/ml of WbT-TI, the highest inhibition was seen. These studies may lead to the development of winged bean protease inhibitor-based preventive and therapeutic strategies for different kinds of cancers.

Nutrients and Sensory Qualities of Moi Moi Developed from Flours of Broad Bean (Vicia faba) Seeds Grown in South Eastern Nigeria as Affected by Different Processing Treatments

Background: Broad bean is a lesser-known and underutilized legume with excellent source of protein. This nutritious but underutilized bean is difficult to cook, requiring lots of energy to prepare and is on its way to extinction. This study assessed the impacts of different processing techniques which includes soaking, sprouting, cooking as well as combined effect of soaking and cooking on the nutritional and sensory qualities of moi moi made from processed broad bean flour. Methods: Broad bean seeds were processed into flours using standard procedures. Conventional methods were used to assess the nutritional properties of processed and unprocessed flours. Sensory investigation was performed on moi moi produced from broad bean flour versus moi-moi developed from cowpea. Antinutrient and functional characteristics were also analyzed and thus, varied significantly across processing treatments. Result: The results demonstrated that the combination of soaking prior to cooking approach significantly reduced the antinutrients while increasing the flour’s protein, fibre and ash levels. Minerals and vitamins contents increased significantly across all processing treatments, with sample SPBBF having the highest values, except for vitamin C. The sensory qualities of the moi-moi prepared from soaked/cooked broad bean showed the highest values in terms of aroma (7.10), taste (6.50) and overall acceptance (7.12) whereas the sprouted broad bean Moi-moi had the lowest values in terms of appearance (7.02), aroma (5.90), taste (5.90)and overall acceptability (5.83) when compared to the control (7.50) which is moi-moi made from cowpea. The study’s findings revealed that effective processing techniques improved the nutrient profile of the flours such as proteins, ash and fibre contents with an enhanced sensory profile of the moi-moi produced from the flours. Soaking broad beans before cooking increased the nutritional value of the flour and sensory characteristics of the moi-moi.

Metabolomic profiling of germinated and non-germinated Lablab purpureus seeds: antioxidant properties and α-amylase inhibitory activities for diabetes management

Diabetes is characterized by prolonged hyperglycemia and disruptions in carbohydrate, lipid, and protein metabolism, stemming from inadequate insulin production, impaired insulin receptor functioning, or a combination of both. Conventional diabetes medications like biguanides and sulphonylureas, are widely used and raise concerns about potential side effects with prolonged usage. In this context, legumes emerge as promising candidates due to their significance in traditional diets globally and associated health benefits. Despite being challenging to digest due to anti-nutritive factors, germination, a simple bioprocessing technique, significantly enhances nutritional aspect of the seeds. This study focuses on Lablab purpureus, an underutilized legume, employing a metabolomic approach to explore compounds in germinated and non-germinated seeds. Metabolomic profiling identified 125 compounds in non-germinated and 80 compounds in germinated seeds, revealing unique compounds in each type with potential health benefits. The study identified therapeutically important metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, and saponin in both the germinated and non-germinated seeds. A notable change in the phytochemical composition (total phenol, flavonoid, and total ascorbic acid content) of germinated seeds was observed compared to the non-germinated seeds flour. An increased fold change (1.15, 1.5 and 1.65) was observed in the total phenol, flavonoid, and total ascorbic acid content in germinated seeds compared to non-germinated seeds, alongside higher antioxidant levels in terms of DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP. The IC50 value for α-amylase inhibitory activity was noted to be 2.05 ± 0.05 mg/ml in germinated samples while 0.79 ± 0.00 mg/ml was observed in the non-germinated Lablab purpureus seeds. Therefore, displaying greater α-amylase inhibitory activity in the non-germinated seeds, possibly due to their unique biochemical composition. Nevertheless, even germinated seeds demonstrated appreciable α-amylase inhibitory activity. Therefore, these findings suggest that germination process significantly influences seed biochemistry and helps to raise the phytochemical composition, while the unique composition of the metabolites in the non-germinated seeds could have impact on the α-amylase inhibitory activity. Thus, study suggests Lablab purpureus as a promising functional food source with diverse health-promoting attributes, particularly in diabetes management.Graphical

Nutritional, Antioxidant and Structural Properties of Rusk Developed From Wheat–Bambara Groundnut (Vigna subterranean) Flour

ABSTRACTBambara groundnut (BGN) is an underutilised legume that has been utilised in bakery products to enhance the protein and crude fibre content. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of BGN flour on the nutritional, antioxidant and microstructural properties of wheat flour rusks. Five formulations of rusks were produced by adding different levels (0%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20%) of BGN flour. Increasing BGN flour from 0% to 20% decreased bulk density, water and oil absorption capacity, swelling capacity and cold paste viscosity of the wheat flour. Nonetheless, addition of BGN flour increased the hot paste viscosity of flour samples ranging from 1132 to 1162.67 cP. It was observed that the inclusion of BGN flour increased the ash, fat, protein, crude fibre content, polyphenols and antioxidant activity of wheat flour and rusk, while moisture, carbohydrate and energy content decreased. As the amount of BGN flour increased, darkening in colour of the wheat flour and rusks were observed. Distinct functional groups exhibited peaks in flour and rusk with increased in percentages of BGN flour. The addition of BGN flour decreased physical properties of the rusks such as loaf volume and specific volume, hardness and fracturability. Furthermore, inclusion of BGN flour altered the microstructural properties of the rusks. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the sustainability and application of BGN flour in bakery products.

Bio-morphological traits, chemical composition, and antioxidant activity of two accessions from sainfoin seeds

The importance of some underutilized legume crops in creating sustainable bioeconomy is increasing constantly in the 21st century. Apart from the commonly used beans, the most of them are mainly utilized as animal forages. Such crop is sainfoin which has the ability to resist droughts and adapt to a wide range of climatic conditions. Hence, it is substantial to be performed detailed studies on the genetic diversity of the plant as well as to be established the main components derived from the sainfoin seeds. Therefore, the aim of the present study was the examination of the variability of some important bio-morphological traits of two sainfoin accessions – Onobrychis transcaucasica Grossh. and Onobrychis viciifolia Scop., as well as revealing the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the seeds. The highest variability for both species was the trait top leaflet width. The amount of glyceride oil, total proteins, carbohydrates (water-soluble sugars, starch and fibers), ash and moisture of the seeds were determined. Total phenolics and flavonoids, as well as their individual content in the sainfoin seeds revealed them as a potent source of bioactive components. The antioxidant activity was examined using four methods based on different mechanisms (2,2′-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ferric reducing antioxidant ability (FRAP) and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC)). The results of this study have possibilities for enrichment the information on ex situ collection of O. transcaucasica and O. viciifolia accessions. They could be successfully used in the improvement of breeding programs and the seeds might have possible application for different industrial purposes because of their chemical composition.

Purification and Characterization of Pinto Bean Protein Using Membrane Technology.

Pinto beans, an underutilized legume, are abundant in protein content and contain a variety of beneficial phytonutrients. However, the commonly used protein extraction method, alkaline extraction, is associated with several drawbacks. These drawbacks include low extraction yield and purity as well as the production of large amounts of wastewater that can lead to environmental hazards. In this regard, membrane technology has gained considerable recognition as a superior method for extracting proteins. A combined processing scheme was developed, which included alkaline extraction at pH 10.5, ultrafiltration with a concentration factor of 5.5, diafiltration with a diavolume of 4, and isoelectric precipitation at pH 4.5 followed by freeze drying. The specific functional characteristics (nitrogen solubility index, water and oil holding capacity, and emulsifying and foaming properties) of the protein concentrates were assessed and compared with those of a commercially available soybean protein isolate. Based on pinto bean flour containing 23.9% protein, 85.5% of the protein was recovered in the products of this process: precipitated protein concentrate (PPC) with 86.4% protein, acid-soluble protein concentrate (ASP-C) with 56.3% protein, and meal residue with 6.1% protein. The mass yields were 17.3% in PPC, 3.9% in ASP-C, and 54% in the meal residue. The precipitated protein showed higher emulsifying activity, and the acid-soluble protein showed a high nitrogen solubility index (NSI) and oil-holding capacity. Both proteins had comparable foaming properties to commercial soy protein isolate. The project demonstrated the feasibility of protein production from pinto beans and highlighted the proteins' useful food functionality and good potential for commercialization.

De Novo Transcriptome Assembly of Rice Bean (Vigna umbellata) and Characterization of WRKY Transcription Factors Response to Aluminum Stress.

Rice bean is an underutilized legume crop cultivated in Asia, and it is a good source of protein, minerals, and essential fatty acids for human consumption. Moreover, the leaves left over after harvesting rice bean seeds contain various biological constituents beneficial to humans and animals. In our study, we performed a de-novo transcriptome assembly of rice bean, characterized the WRKY transcription factors, and studied their response to aluminum stress. A total of 46.6 million clean reads, with a GC value of 43%, were generated via transcriptome sequencing. De novo assembly of the clean reads resulted in 90,933 transcripts and 74,926 unigenes, with minimum and maximum lengths of 301 bp and 24,052 bp, and N50 values of 1801 bp and 1710 bp, respectively. A total of 27,095 and 28,378 unigenes were annotated and subjected to GO and KEGG analyses. Among the unigenes, 15,593, 20,770, and 15,385 unigenes were identified in the domains of biological process, molecular function, and cellular component, respectively. A total of 16,132 unigenes were assigned to 188 pathways, including metabolic pathways (5500) and secondary metabolite biosynthesis (2858). Transcription factor analysis revealed 4860 unigenes from 98 different transcription factor families. For WRKY, a total of 95 unigenes were identified. Further analysis revealed the diverse response of WRKY transcription factors to aluminum stress. Collectively, the results of this study boost genomic resources and provide a baseline for further research on the role of WRKY transcription factors in aluminum tolerance in rice bean.

Green guaje (Leucaena leucocephala) and pigmented guaje (Leucaena esculenta) as sources of antioxidant and immunomodulatory peptides

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in plant-based diets, particularly legumes, as a sustainable and healthy dietary choice. This study breaks new ground by investigating the effects of simulated gastrointestinal digestion on green (Leucaena leucocephala) and pigmented (Leucaena esculenta) guaje proteins. We evaluated the antioxidant and immunomodulatory properties of ultrafiltered fractions resulting from digestion in a macrophage model. Both fractions showed promising potential as radical scavengers. The fraction <5 kDa from pigmented guaje, even at the lowest doses tested, significantly (p < 0.05) inhibited the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, and demonstrated an immunomodulatory effect by reducing the levels of ROS and NO. These findings suggest that green and pigmented guaje could be a valuable source of bioactive peptides, potentially used as a coadjutant for treating and preventing oxidative stress and inflammation-associated non-communicable diseases through the utilization of underutilized legumes.

Unlocking the potential of underutilized legumes: nutritional benefits, anti-nutritional challenges, and mitigation strategies

Unlocking the potential of underutilized legumes: nutritional benefits, anti-nutritional challenges, and mitigation strategies

Morphological, pathological and phylogenetic analyses identify a diverse group of Colletotrichum spp. causing leaf, pod and flower diseases on the orphan legume African yam bean

AbstractAfrican yam bean (AYB; Sphenostylis stenocarpa) is an underutilized legume indigenous to Africa with great potential to enhance food security and offer nutritional and medicinal opportunities. However, low grain yield caused by fungal diseases, including pod blight and leaf tip dieback, deters farmers from large‐scale cultivation. To determine the prevalence of fungal diseases affecting leaves, pods and flowers of AYB, a survey was conducted in 2018 and 2019 in major AYB‐growing areas in Nigeria. Leaf tip dieback, flower bud rot and pod blight were the most common symptoms. Morphological and molecular assays were conducted to identify the causal agents of the observed diseases. In all the samples examined, fungi from eight genera were isolated from diseased leaves, buds and pods. Koch's postulates were fulfilled only for fungi belonging to the Colletotrichum genus. Fungi from the other seven genera did not produce disease symptoms in healthy AYB tissues. Several Colletotrichum isolates were characterized by sequencing the rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase, calmodulin and ApMAT loci. A combined phylogenetic analysis revealed four Colletotrichum species: C. siamense, C. theobromicola and C. fructicola, which were recovered from diseased leaves, and C. truncatum, recovered from diseased pods and buds. Our results are useful to gear efforts to develop integrated management strategies to control diseases affecting AYB in Nigeria and elsewhere. Availability of such strategies may stimulate greater AYB cultivation, which can contribute to diet diversification, something repeatedly advocated by a range of stakeholders to increase food security and prosperity of smallholder farmers.

Physicochemical Properties Of Native And Acetylated Pigeon Pea Starches

Starch was extracted from pigeon pea, an underutilized legume, and acetylated (2.43%) using acetic anhydride. The starch yield increased from 28.24% (native) to 83.63% (acetylated). The pH was 6.8 and 6.9, respectively. Apparent amylose content decreased after acetylation (25.95% to 19.67%). Moisture, ash, fat, crude protein, and carbohydrate contents showed minimal variation between native and acetylated starches. Bulk density, water absorption, and oil absorption capacities increased with acetylation. Acetylated starch had higher dispersibility (98.50%) than native starch (87.50%), but a higher least gelation concentration (16% vs. 6%). Viscosity decreased with acetylation, while solubility index and swelling power increased. Acetylation improved pasting properties, particularly setback and breakdown. These findings suggest acetylation enhances the functional properties of pigeon pea starch for potential industrial applications.

Inhibitory activities of ten accessions of underutilised West Africa legume Macrotyloma geocarpum (Harms) Maréchal & Baudet, growing in Nigeria against metabolic enzymes α-amylase and α-glucosidase

Underutilised legumes are important crop species whose cultivation and consumption are declining despite their medicinal and nutritional benefits. One of the most pressing global health concerns of the twenty-first century is diabetes, characterised by elevated blood sugar levels (hyperglycaemia). Food plays a huge role in the incidence and management of metabolic diseases such as diabetes. Hence, pharmacological research along the food-medicine continuum is being ignited by recent evidence linking diet to health and illness incidence. Herein, we determined in vitro the inhibitory effects of the gene bank-stored seed and freshly cultivated seed and leaf extracts of ten accessions of an underutilised legume (Macrotyloma geocarpum) on the enzymes involved in carbohydrate breakdown to glucose (α-amylase and α-glucosidase) as a strategy to reduce hyperglycaemia. The extracts of seed accessions obtained from the gene bank showed weakly α-amylase inhibition (IC50 range = 300–1000 µg/mL) while, extracts of the cultivated seed accessions generally showed enhanced inhibitory effects (IC50 range = 63–355 µg/mL), when compared to standard Acarbose® (IC50 = 64.23 ± 0.02 µg/mL). Freshly harvested seed accessions (72–616 µg/mL) were also observed to have enhanced inhibitory effects on α-glucosidase enzyme than the seeds from the gene bank (39–185 µg/mL) when compared to Acarbose® (73.23 ± 0.02 µg/mL). However, the leaf extracts of the cultivated accessions displayed significantly higher α–amylase inhibition (IC50 range = 54–61 µg/mL) than the cultivated seeds while a reversed case was observed in the α–glucosidase inhibition. Overall, this study suggests the medicinal importance of the underutilised M. geocarpum legume in the management of diabetes while considering the varying bioactive effects of the accessions as well as cultivation and storage.

Nutritional, Anti-Nutritional and Sensory Evaluation of Snacks Produced from Germinated Maize/Bambara Groundnut (Vigna Subterranean) Flours

Background: Bambara nut, an underutilized legume is rich in protein and can improve the nutritional quality of snacks. This study evaluates the nutritional and sensory properties of muffins produced from germinated maize and Bambara groundnut flours. Methods: Maize and Bambara groundnut seeds were germinated (72 hours), oven-dried and milled. The composite flours from the germinated flours were combined with soya oil, tiger-nut milk, date and carrot powder to produce four samples of muffins. The samples were chemically analyzed for proximate, mineral, beta-carotene, and anti-nutrient contents. Then, sensory evaluation was carried out among 20 mothers (20-30) using a 5 hedonic scale. ANOVA and Duncan Multiple Range Test were also used to analyze the data. Results: Protein, fiber and carbohydrate contents of the muffins ranged from 7.63-9.23%, 0.05-0.08% and 70.63-71.55%, respectively. It was found that germination significantly increased protein and iron content of muffins but reduced zinc, calcium, and beta-carotene contents (P&lt;0.001). The muffins contributed above 22% of the RDA regarding energy for children. Muffins produced from the blends provided higher level of protein, calcium, iron and beta-carotene compared to those made from whole wheat flour. There was a significant reduction in anti-nutrient contents of the muffins and germinated flours. The muffin produced from the 80% maize and 20% Bambara nut flour was rated best in terms of nutritional value, taste, and texture. Conclusion: Bambara nut flours could be used to produce nutritious snacks which would contribute to daily energy and protein needs of children.

Assessing the yield and nutrient potential of horse gram mutants (Macrotyloma uniflorum Lam. Verdc.) an underutilized legume through a multi-environment-based experiment

The agronomic stability and nutritional importance of 30 (Test genotypes: 29 + Check: 1 = 30) promising horse gram mutants were evaluated in this multi-environment-based experiment (MEE). Attempts were made to (i) identify stable mutants for agronomic traits through AMMI and GGE biplot models, (ii) quantify nutritional traits, (iii) understand the linkage between yield and nutritional traits, and (iv) estimate physical (PP) and cooking properties (CP) of selected genotypes to fix their food-chain usability. The ANOVA of the pooled data exhibited significant differences among environments (E), genotypes (G), and GxE interaction. The combined AMMI and GGE results helped to identify a few good-yielding and stable genotypes (GYSM) (G1, G25, G3, and G27). The yield advantages of these GYSMs over the parent PAIYUR 2 are 42.99%, 34.63%, 28.68%, and 30.59% respectively. The nutrient profiling of mutants revealed (i) a significant coefficient of variation for macronutrients (fat: 29.98%; fibre: 20.72%, and protein: 5.01%), (ii) a good range of variation for micronutrients, and (iii) helped to identify macro (MaNSM) and micro nutrient-specific mutants (MiNSM). The relationship analysis between yield and nutrient traits ascertained that yield had (i) positivity with protein (r2 = 0.69) and negativity for micronutrients except for Mn (r2 = 0.63), Cu (r2 = 0.46), and B (r2 = 0.01) in GYSM, (ii) positivity with protein and fibre in MaNSM, and (iii) negativity with micronutrients in MiNSM. Of the GYSM, G1 and G25 offer scope for commercial exploitation, and their PP and CP analyses revealed that G1 can be used for pastry and baked product preparation while G25 for weaning foods. Cooking time exhibited positivity with seed size parameters and negativity with water absorption capacity (r2 = − 0.53). An LC–MS–MS-based amino acid (AA) fractionation study showed the effect of induced mutagenesis on the contents of amino acids and also revealed the significance of horse gram for its lysine and methionine contents.

Assessment of in vitro Digestibility Kinetics of Resistant Starch in Some Under-Utilized Legumes and Cereal

Normally digestible starch is a starch that digest in the small intestine. Partial starch is digested in the small intestine but not completely, in it some amount of starch used to escape digestion while resistant starch normally withstand digestion in the small intestine of healthy human beings. The study is aimed at determining the in vitro digestibility kinetics of resistance starch derived from underutilized legumes and millet). This is done by determining the proximate composition of underutilized legumes (Bambara groundnut and African yam Beans) and millet. S and analyzing the digestibility kinetics of both modified and unmodified resistant starch using alpha amylase. The result of proximate composition of cereal and legumes for modified and unmodified samples are thus; Moisture content is 6.33± 0.41 and 8.50± 0.35, Crude fiber is 2.83± 0.53 and 3.50± 0.35, the Fat content is 1.33± 0.41 and 1.67± 0.41, the Ash content is 1.17± 0.18 and 2.50± 0.35, the Protein content is 8.75± 0.03 and 13.12± 0.25 while the Carbohydrate content is 63.52± 0.56 and 57.83± 0.52. Moreso, the Proximate Composition of modified and unmodified bambara groundnut are as follows: the Moisture content has it as 15% ± 0.5 and 6.8% ± 1.0, the fats content is 1% ± 0.0 and 6.5% ± 0.0, the Fibre content is 4% ± 1.0 and 5.5% ± 0.5, the protein content is 17.50% ± 0.1 and 22.76% ± 0.0, 22.76% ± 0.0 the Carbohydrate content is 60.5% and 64.94%. The digestibility of both modified and unmodified millet is. From the result the modified and unmodified sample for Reducing sugar (mg/g) is 0.55± 0.09 and 2.7 ± 0.06, the Amylose (%) is 35.10 ± 1.81 and 28.41 ± 0.20, the Amylosepectin (%) is 64.9 ± 1.81 and 48.41 ± 0.80, the Starch damage (%) is 73.04 ± 0.02 and 1.8 ± 0.05. while the Starch undamaged (%) is 56.25 ± 0.08 and 62.40 ± 0.20. The study showed that millet is a good source of starch that will help to reduce poverty level and enhanced food security. It equally adds to knowledge by revealing the digestibility kinetics of modified millet starch to the unmodified starch and enlighten the benefits of millet starch and its uses in relation to enhance nutritional security. Keywords: in vitro digestibility, Bambara groundnut and African yam Beans) and millet proximate analysis.

Moth Bean (Vigna aconitifolia) Starch: Properties, Modifications and Applications—A Review

ABSTRACTMoth bean (Vigna aconitifolia) is considered an underutilized legume but has drawn considerable attention to researchers in recent years owing to its good nutritional value, lower glycemic index, and numerous health benefits. Despite the dietary importance of mung bean as well as starch, the starch extraction processes from moth bean seeds remain inadequately understood. This review discusses recent developments in starch extractability, physico‐chemical and structural characteristics, and different food and non‐food application to utilize moth bean as potential starch source. The starch properties depend mainly on its composition (amylose and amylopectin) and branched chains distribution. Moth bean starch (MBS) exhibited around 15% amylose content and a typical C‐type crystalline structure with granules of diverse sizes and shapes. Different studies exhibited a positive correlation among amylose content and different characteristics of MBS including pasting profile, thermal properties, and its cooking quality. The modification of MBS has been done using some chemical treatments for functionality improvement. MBS possesses good techno‐functional properties that can be exploited for different food product development and non‐food applications. Owing to the promising potential exhibited by native and modified MBS, these can be explored as valuable functional ingredients in various food and non‐food products. Finally, an outlook on potential utilization of MBS in the future is given.

Evaluating the genetic variability in selected accessions of medicinal legume Mucuna pruriens (L) DC through ISSR markers

Mucuna pruriens, a widely available but underutilized legume in India, stands out for its nutritional and medicinal potential. Understanding the genetic diversity of M. pruriens is vital for its conservation and utilization in breeding programs aimed at enhancing its nutritional and agronomic traits. In this regard, molecular markers like ISSRs offer a reliable and informative tool for assessing genetic diversity. In the present study, 23 M. pruriens accessions from northeastern India were evaluated using ISSR markers, revealing high levels of polymorphism and significant genetic diversity. A total of 512 amplicons were generated across 33 ISSR primers, with an average polymorphic percentage of 98.05 %. PIC values ranged from 0.22 to 0.50, indicating substantial genetic variation within the accessions. Supplementary indicators such as EMR and MI were employed to evaluate the marker system's efficacy. EMR ranged from 6 to 22, averaging 14.95, while MI ranged from 2.64 to 9.02, averaging 6.04, with a positive correlation observed between EMR and MI. Cluster analysis based on Jaccard's similarity coefficient classified the accessions into two major groups, with the northeastern Indian accessions displaying higher diversity compared to those from other regions of India. Interestingly, geographical proximity did not consistently correlate with genetic similarity, suggesting complex patterns of gene flow and historical germplasm exchange. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the genetic diversity of M. pruriens and highlights the importance of conserving and utilizing this underutilized legume for addressing global food security challenges.

Phytochemical studies of wheat-plantain composite flours enriched with velvet beans flours

Wheat, which is an expensive grain, is not adequate to meet the nutritional requirements of the end users. Hence, enrichment of wheat with easily affordable underutilized legumes and fruits that have superior nutritional value is a good approach to producing functional foods and this is also a good way to reduce the cost of wheat importation. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the phytochemical composition of the flour blends processed from wheat-plantain flour blends enriched with velvet bean. Wheat, plantain and Velvet flours composite were prepared in the ratio 240:37.5:22.5, 210:60:30 and 150:105:45 respectively and 100% wheat flour was used as the control. Phytochemicals revealed that total phenolic, total flavonoids, total carotenoids, L-Dopa, DPPH and FRAP ranged from 41.22 – 383.09 mg/GAE/100 g, 42.94 – 83.11 mg/CE/100 g, 0.41– 1.66 mg/100 g, 0.91 – 1.21%, 33.12 – 46.85 mg/AAE/100 g and 4.05 – 6.29 mg/FeSO4/100 g, respectively. Addition of plantain and velvet beans flour blends to the wheat flour significantly (p &lt; 0.05) enhanced the phytochemical properties of the flour blends. The blends could therefore be used to produce any functional food. Hence, its food applications are highly recommended.