Legume Science最新文献

{"title":"Advances in Cold-Plasma Technology for Legume Seeds: Mechanisms, Nutritional Quality Improvement, Food Safety and Sustainable Agriculture","authors":"Jannatul Ferdous,&nbsp;Joyairia Tabassum,&nbsp;Md. Hassan Bin Nabi,&nbsp;Abid Hassan Arnab,&nbsp;Wahidu Zzaman,&nbsp;Iftekhar Ahmad","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70149","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Cold plasma (CP), a nonthermal ionised gas rich in reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), has emerged as a sustainable technology for enhancing legume production and quality. This review summarises current advances in CP applications in legumes, focusing on seed germination, seedling vigour, nutrient enhancement, antinutrient reduction, technofunctional modification and microbial decontamination. Optimised CP treatments significantly improve germination performance, nutrient digestibility and bioavailability while reducing antinutritional compounds such as phytic acid and trypsin inhibitors. CP also effectively inactivates bacterial and fungal contaminants without compromising seed quality. Beyond these established applications, the review highlights emerging research areas, including CP-mediated abiotic-stress priming for improved drought, salinity and chilling tolerance through modulation of antioxidant defenses and stress-responsive pathways. Recent evidence on enhanced legume–<i>Rhizobium</i> symbiosis and biological nitrogen fixation is discussed, emphasising improvements in nodulation and nitrogenase activity. Furthermore, CP-induced alterations in seed microbiomes, including suppression of pathogens and promotion of beneficial microbes, are examined. The potential of plasma-activated water (PAW) for producing safer, nutritionally enriched and uniformly sprouted legumes is also explored. Finally, challenges related to treatment standardisation, safety assessment, process scale-up and regulatory acceptance are addressed. Overall, CP represents a multifunctional and environmentally friendly approach for sustainable legume production and quality enhancement.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70149","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148994207","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of the Extraction Method on the Technological and Structural Properties of Andean Fava Bean Starch","authors":"Hugo José Martins Carvalho,&nbsp;Aline Adriano Wuchner,&nbsp;Mateus Silva Cirino,&nbsp;Rebeca Salvador-Reyes,&nbsp;Sérgio Michielon de Souza,&nbsp;Elizabeth Harumi Nabeshima,&nbsp;Maria Teresa Pedrosa Silva Clerici","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70150","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70150","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The Andean fava bean is a promising source of unconventional starch, but its extraction presents challenges such as obtaining pure starches with less granular damage. This study aimed to characterize the chemical and structural composition of Andean fava bean starches and evaluate the effects of aqueous (AES) and reducing agent (RES) extraction on their structural, technological, and thermal properties, assessing their potential as an unconventional starch source. Both methods produced starches with a high whiteness index and low protein content. However, RES showed higher yield (22.77%), amylose content (30.67%), and total crystallinity (19.53%), as well as a lower content of damaged starch (5.78%), indicating greater purity. Both samples exhibited granules with a smooth surface, oval shape, and polydisperse distribution. X-ray diffraction revealed a Type C crystalline pattern, with RES showing a higher proportion of Phase A (17.00%). These differences were reflected in the technological properties, with RES exhibiting a higher gelatinization temperature (75.05°C) and higher peak (1996 cP) and final (2795 cP) viscosities, indicating greater thermal and rheological stability. In contrast, AES exhibited a lower gelatinization temperature (70.18°C) and a firmer gel (41.35 N), possibly due to greater granular damage and oxidative reactions during maceration. The extraction method influenced the structure and technological performance of the starch, with RES being more promising for applications requiring greater structural integrity and thermal stability. This work contributes to a better understanding of RES for starch isolation from Andean fava bean, with potential relevance to its future agro-industrial applications.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70150","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148993973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effect of Acute Heat Stress During Pod Filling on Seed Quality Traits in Lentil (Lens culinaris Medikus)","authors":"Minhao Li,&nbsp;Adnan Riaz,&nbsp;Audrey Delahunty,&nbsp;Joe Panozzo,&nbsp;Garry Rosewarne,&nbsp;Hafiz Suleria,&nbsp;Ashley Wallace,&nbsp;Sukhjiwan Kaur","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70151","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70151","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Heat stress is an increasing threat to lentil production systems, yet its effects on seed quality traits remain poorly understood. This study evaluated seed quality responses of lentil genotypes grown under control and heat stress conditions across three seasons (2022–2024), with acute heat stress applied during the pod-filling stage for 3 days. Across seasons, heat stress consistently reduced 100-grain weight (100GWT), seed size index (SSI) and seed coat redness (<i>a</i>*), with the extent of reduction increasing under higher heat loads. In contrast, seed plumpness (SP), lightness (<i>L</i>*) and yellowness (<i>b</i>*) stayed largely stable. Protein concentration increased by 3.8%–6.0% under heat stress, indicating a compositional shift linked to reduced starch accumulation during seed filling. Trait relationships remained consistent across seasons with different environmental conditions, with larger seeds generally associated with lower protein levels and lighter seed coat colours. Despite notable genotype × environment interactions, consistent response patterns emerged, highlighting significant genetic variation in heat tolerance associated with seed quality traits. Several genotypes, including ILL 512/70951, GIA Metro, GIA Thunder, PBA Bolt, PBA Hallmark XT and PBA Jumbo 2, showed stable seed quality across seasons, whereas others demonstrated specific trait advantages such as stable seed size, colour or protein concentration under heat stress. These findings show that acute heat stress during pod filling affects lentil seed quality in a trait-dependent manner and highlight opportunities to select genotypes with reliable performance under higher temperatures, thereby advancing understanding of heat tolerance mechanisms in lentil and supporting the development of climate-resilient cultivars through informed trait-based selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70151","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148943166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-Wide Identification of YABBY Genes in Medicago truncatula Reveals a Role for MtYAB3 in Petal Lateral Expansion","authors":"Xue Zhang,&nbsp;Jingyi Han,&nbsp;Siqin Zhang,&nbsp;Zhichao Lu,&nbsp;Jing Zhang,&nbsp;Feng Yuan,&nbsp;Yaling Liu,&nbsp;Chuanen Zhou,&nbsp;Lu Han","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70147","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70147","url":null,"abstract":"<p>YABBY transcription factors are plant-specific regulators of lateral organ development, yet their functions in legume flower morphogenesis remain poorly understood. Here, we identified seven <i>YABBY</i> genes in the <i>Medicago truncatula</i> genome and assigned them to five conserved subfamilies. Among the two <i>FIL</i>-clade members, <i>MtFIL</i> and <i>MtYAB3</i>, both showed preferential expression in shoot apices and reproductive tissues, but only loss of <i>MtYAB3</i> caused an obvious floral phenotype. In the <i>mtyab3-1</i> mutant, keel and wing petals were markedly narrower and petal fusion was impaired, whereas early petal primordium initiation showed no obvious abnormality. Complementation restored the mutant phenotype, supporting the conclusion that disruption of <i>MtYAB3</i> was responsible for the floral defects. GUS staining and RNA in situ hybridization further showed that <i>MtYAB3</i> is expressed in floral tissues with clear abaxial polarity during organ development. In addition, several genes associated with cell proliferation and expansion were differentially expressed in <i>mtyab3-1</i>. These results identify <i>MtYAB3</i> as an important regulator of petal lateral growth in <i>M. truncatula</i> and provide a useful framework for understanding petal morphogenesis in legumes.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70147","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148942140","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tolerance to Simulated Pod-Borer Herbivory Among Several Genotypes of Extra Short-Duration Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan)","authors":"Trevor M. Volp,&nbsp;Myron P. Zalucki,&nbsp;Michael J. Furlong","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70145","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Pigeonpea is a major global legume crop that provides nutrition and income for some of the world's poorest people. Global pigeonpea yields are constrained due to damage from flower- and pod-feeding lepidopteran pests, particularly <i>Helicoverpa armigera</i>. In this study, we evaluated the tolerance of several extra short-duration pigeonpea cultivars to simulated herbivory at peak flowering in Southern Queensland, Australia. In the first field experiment (involving nine cultivars), pigeonpea cultivars overcompensated in response to simulated herbivory, but in the second experiment (four cultivars), pigeonpea compensated. Although we intentionally selected cultivars that differed in important phenotypic traits (phenology, determinacy and architecture), cultivars did not differ in their tolerance to simulated damage in our field experiments. However, our results did vary across the two seasons over which the field experiments were conducted, indicating that crop growing environment affects plant tolerance. Plants in the first field experiment (which experienced less pre-flowering rainfall) experienced greater phenological delay and overcompensated in response to damage, whereas in the second field season, plants only compensated for damage. Across both experiments, pigeonpea plants tolerated herbivory by the known tolerance mechanisms of phenological delay, compensatory growth and redirection of assimilates. This study contributes to a sparse literature on how pigeonpea plants tolerate pest damage. For successful pest management tactics to be developed for <i>H. armigera</i> and other flower-feeding pests in pigeonpea (i.e., economic thresholds and pest-tolerant cultivars), future research should determine the influence of environmental variables on the tolerance of pigeonpea to herbivore feeding.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70145","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148848635","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genotype-by-Environment Interaction Influenced the Crude Protein and Total Amino Acid Content in Lentil Varieties","authors":"Alex Kumi Frimpong,&nbsp;Anastasiya Kuhalskaya,&nbsp;Lorenzo Rocchetti,&nbsp;Giacomo Conti,&nbsp;Asia Cicconi,&nbsp;Chiara Santamarina,&nbsp;Francesca Francioni,&nbsp;Benedetta Fanesi,&nbsp;Tania Gioia,&nbsp;Stefania Marzario,&nbsp;Alice Pieri,&nbsp;Giulia Frascarelli,&nbsp;Elisa Bellucci,&nbsp;Laura Nanni,&nbsp;Deborah Pacetti,&nbsp;Roberto Papa,&nbsp;Elena Bitocchi,&nbsp;Valerio Di Vittori","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70076","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70076","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Lentil (<i>Lens culinaris</i> Medik.) is a globally important grain legume valued for its high-protein content and nutritional quality. However, the genetic and environmental factors influencing protein and amino acid composition, particularly the role of genotype × environment interaction (GEI), remain partially uncovered. This study evaluated 15 diverse lentil genotypes across seven agronomic trials spanning multiple years, sowing seasons, and locations to assess the effects of genotype, environment, and GEI on crude protein (CP), crude protein yield (CPY), total amino acids (TAA), and total amino acid yield (TAAY). Advanced statistical models such as Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI), Genotype plus Genotype-by-Environment (GGE), and Weighted Average of Absolute Scores (WAASB) were employed to dissect the contributions of genetic and environmental components and to identify stable, high-performing genotypes. Results revealed significant phenotypic variation for CP, amino acids (AA), and TAA among genotypes. Seasonal variation, especially between autumn and spring sowings, was the primary environmental driver of GEI for both CP and CPY. Notably, some landraces (PI_431710_LSP, PI_431739_LSP, PI_431753_LSP, and IG_1959) demonstrated both high productivity and stability across environments, while others excelled in specific mega-environments identified through GGE analysis. Our findings emphasize the importance of integrating into lentil breeding programs, stability and adaptability, and a more comprehensive approach to measure the yield (e.g., CPY, MegaJoule, amino acid composition, and TAAY), which takes into account the quality and the effective energetic production of a crop. From this perspective, we highlight landraces as valuable sources of genetic diversity for improving yield. This work provides a foundation for targeted breeding strategies aimed at developing lentil varieties with enhanced protein content, balanced amino acid profiles, and resilience to environmental variability.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70076","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148753375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Therapeutic Potential of Chickpea-Derived Bioactives: A Review With Perspective of Different In Vitro, Animal, and Human Studies","authors":"Rohama Shahid,&nbsp;Maria Maqsood,&nbsp;Nimrah Ashraf,&nbsp;Farzeen Asghar,&nbsp;Nauman Khalid","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70144","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70144","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Chickpea (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) is an important dietary legume worldwide and provides micronutrients and phytochemicals, including phenolics, flavonoids, carotenoids, bioactive peptides, dietary fiber, and resistant starch. This narrative review summarizes evidence from in vitro, animal, and human studies on the potential health relevance of chickpea-derived bioactives. In vitro studies suggest that chickpea phenolics and peptides may contribute to glucose and lipid regulation through α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition, ACE inhibition, reactive oxygen species scavenging, and modulation of inflammatory pathways such as NF-κB. Animal studies indicate possible effects on insulin signaling and lipid metabolism, including AMPK activation, increased GLUT-4 translocation, restoration of PI3K/Akt signaling, enhanced bile acid excretion, short-chain fatty acid-associated lipid lowering, low-density lipoprotein receptor upregulation, regulation of hepatic lipid metabolism enzymes, and preservation of tissue histology. Human studies, however, mainly report acute postprandial effects, including lower glucose or insulin responses, reduced iAUC, changes in gut hormones, and increased satiety, rather than established long-term therapeutic outcomes. Antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects have been associated primarily with preclinical evidence, including polyphenol- and peptide-related reactive oxygen species scavenging and changes in antioxidant defenses such as GSH, SOD, CAT, and GPx. However, the current evidence remains limited by the predominance of preclinical studies, few long-term human trials, insufficient dose–response data, and a lack of standardized extraction and processing protocols. This review highlights both the potential and limitations in available chickpea research.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70144","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148752849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genomic Innovations in High-Oil Soybean Breeding: Overcoming Yield Barriers and Climate Resilience Challenges","authors":"Mujeeb Ur Rehman,&nbsp;Muhammad Azam,&nbsp;Muhammad Ahsan,&nbsp;Azhar Iqbal,&nbsp;Lili Yu,&nbsp;Jhon Larzabal,&nbsp;Juan E. Rosas,&nbsp;Li-Juan Qiu","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70121","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70121","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Soybean (<i>Glycine max</i> L.) is the world's most important oilseed crop, supplying 25% of world‘s edible oil and 66% of feed protein. This review address genomic innovations to overcome yield constraints and climate vulnerability (especially drought stress) in high-oil soybean breeding. Global edible oil demand will rise 30% by 2025, but modern varieties lack sufficient stress tolerance and suffer from the oil-protein trade-off (1% oil gain = 1.5% protein loss), drought-induced yield losses of 10%–20%, and restrictive GMO policies that reduce exports by 15%. We define clear breeding targets: oil concentration, seed yield, oil yield, and meal protein, with acceptable trade-off thresholds (≤ 5% protein loss, no yield penalty). Key advances include CRISPR/Cas9 editing of <i>GmFAD2/GmWRI1</i> (75% higher oleic acid), genomic selection (79% accuracy), AI phenotyping (95% precision), and multi-omics (20% oil profile improvement). The framework enhances climate-smart production (a 30%–40% reduction in environmental impact) and addresses regulatory hurdles. Future directions focus on precision editing, multi-environment trials, AI pipelines, and policy harmonization to increase farmer profitability by 15% and meet 25% of biodiesel demand by 2030.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70121","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148617104","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Black Chickpea Landraces as a Sustainable Protein Source: Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Technological Properties","authors":"Marco Torre,&nbsp;Olimpia Pitirollo,&nbsp;Roberto Laganà Vinci,&nbsp;Antonella Cavazza,&nbsp;Francesco Cacciola,&nbsp;Jens J. Sloth,&nbsp;Charlotte Jacobsen,&nbsp;Federico Casanova,&nbsp;Antonella Verzera,&nbsp;Fabrizio Cincotta","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70143","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70143","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Neglected legume landraces represent valuable genetic resources for sustainable food systems, yet their compositional and technological properties remain poorly explored. This study comprehensively characterized the flours obtained from two Sicilian black chickpeas (<i>Cicer arietinum</i> L.) landraces, Rough Black Chickpeas (RBC) and Smooth Black Chickpeas (SBC), focusing on their chemical composition, nutritional profile, and technological properties using standardized analytical methods. Both flours showed a balanced macronutrient profile with significant genotype-dependent variations. SBC exhibited higher contents of protein (20.17 vs. 19.32 g/100 g), dietary fiber (7.14 vs. 6.23 g/100 g), and fat (4.66 vs. 4.36 g/100 g), as well as a higher total mineral content (18.65 vs. 17.84 g/kg) compared to RBC. Conversely, RBC showed higher total carbohydrates (59.34 vs. 57.29 g/100 g) and significantly higher levels of soluble sugars, including fructose (18.37 vs. 12.90 mg/100 g), galactose (17.43 vs. 7.76 mg/100 g), sucrose (85.39 vs. 56.40 mg/100 g), and stachyose (859.08 vs. 574.47 mg/100 g). Both cultivars met the FAO/WHO total essential amino acids requirements (SBC: 613.09; RBC: 649.12 mg/g protein), with methionine as the limiting amino acid (4.26–4.19 mg/g of protein). Phenolic profiling revealed shikimic acid, hydroxybenzoic and cinnamic derivatives, and catechin. Marked differences emerged in technological properties: RBC exhibited higher water absorption, swelling capacity, and emulsion stability, whereas SBC showed a more moderate hydration behavior. Overall, the results demonstrate that technological properties are strongly dependent on compositional and structural factors. These findings support the valorization of black chickpea landraces as sustainable and functional ingredients for innovative legume-based foods, contributing to biodiversity preservation and dietary diversification.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70143","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148616289","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of Soaking Effects on Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Pinto and Black Beans","authors":"Mariam Yakubu,&nbsp;Elvis Baidoo,&nbsp;Manideep Busarapu,&nbsp;Nathaniel Ogunkunle,&nbsp;Judith Boateng","doi":"10.1002/leg3.70120","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1002/leg3.70120","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Common beans (<i>Phaseolus vulgaris</i> <i>L</i>.) are nutritionally valuable legumes that provide essential nutrients and polyphenolic compounds with strong antioxidant properties. Dry beans are typically subjected to soaking as a conventional pre-cooking step to mitigate the hard-to-cook effect and reduce cooking time. Beans were soaked with or without added salts for 24 h and analyzed at 6 h intervals, addition of salts helps improve cooking efficiency. Total polyphenol content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant capacity assays were evaluated using standard methods. Bean hardness was assessed using the cut test, and color was quantified by CIELAB analysis. Results indicated that soaking reduced polyphenol and flavonoid levels. In pinto beans, TPC decreased by 12.7%–63.8%, whereas in black beans, reductions ranged between 15.9% and 56.9%. Corresponding TFC reductions were 0.8%–79.9% and 0.5%–77.6% for the pinto and black beans evaluated, respectively. Salt addition intensified these decreases, aligning with reductions in FRAP, %RSA, and IC₅₀ values, although TEAC remained largely unchanged. Hardness declined significantly in all treatments, with black beans showing greater percentage losses than pinto beans. Soaking in salt solutions improved color retention, whereas soaking in water resulted in greater loss in color. PCA and Correlation analysis indicated that bean hardness was significantly (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.05) associated with TFC (<i>r</i> = 0.74), and TFC was correlated significantly with FRAP (<i>r</i> = 0.68), TEAC (<i>r</i> = 0.58), and %RSA (<i>r</i> = 0.52). These findings demonstrate that soaking conditions influence the chemical and physical quality of beans, informing strategies to optimize nutrient retention and functional properties for industrial processing.</p>","PeriodicalId":17929,"journal":{"name":"Legume Science","volume":"8 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4,"publicationDate":"2026-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/leg3.70120","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148616336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}