Carbohydrate fractions of legumes: uses in human nutrition and potential for health

Abstract

Starch and fibre can be extracted, using wet or dry processes, from a variety of grain legumes and used as ingredients for food. a-Galactosides can be isolated during wet processes from the soluble extract. Starch isolates or concentrates are mostly produced from peas, whereas dietary fibre fractions from peas and soyabean are commercially available. The physico-chemical characteristics of fibre fractions very much depend on their origin, outer fibres being very cellulosic whereas inner fibres contain a majority of pectic substances. Inner fibres are often used as texturing agents whereas outer fibres find their main uses in bakery and extruded products, where they can be introduced to increase the fibre content of the food. Most investigations on impacts on health have been performed on soyabean fibres. When positive observations were made on lipaemia, glucose tolerance or faecal excretion, they were unfortunately often obtained after non-realistic daily doses of fibres. Legume starches contain a higher amount of amylose than most cereal or tuber starches. This confers these starches a lower bioavailability than that of most starches, when raw or retrograded. Their low glycaemic index can be considered as beneficial for health and especially for the prevention of diseases related to insulin resistance. When partly retrograded, these starches can provide significant amount of butyrate to the colonic epithelium and may help in colon cancer prevention. a-Galactosides are usually considered as responsible for flatus but their apparent prebiotic effects may be an opportunity to valorize these oligosaccharides.

Organoleptic and glycemic properties of chickpea-wheat composite breads

“…The starch content of chickpea and wheat flours are 51 % and 64 %, respectively (Idriss et al 2012). The higher percentage of amylose (30-40 %) in chickpea starch compared to the 20 % in wheat starch (Guillon and Champ 2002) makes chickpea starch more resistant to digestion (Muir and O'Dea 1992). The fiber content of chickpeas is 16.4 % (Berrios et al 2010) versus 12.2 % in whole-wheat flour and 3 % in white flour (Idriss et al 2012) and the protein content of raw chickpea flour was reported as 25.5 % compared to 11.9 % in wheat flour (Idriss et al 2012).…”

Lupin kernel fibre-enriched foods beneficially modify serum lipids in men

“…Nevertheless, lupin is currently receiving international interest as an alternative source of food ingredients for the future. The dietary fibre content of ASL kernels is higher than that of most other legumes, making up around 40% of the kernel weight (Johnson & Gray, 1993;Petterson, 1998;Guillon & Champ, 2002). LKFibre has been shown to have potential in the manufacturing of palatable fibre-enriched products such as baked goods and pasta (Clark & Johnson, 2002).…”

The Effect of Navy Bean Flour Particle Size on Carbohydrate Digestion Rate Measured in Vitro

“…For example, studies show that yellow pea protein intake was associated with reduced blood glucose and subsequent food intake (2,36), whereas the intake of pea hull fiber resulted in increased bowel movement frequency in elderly individuals (10) and when combined with inulin reduced energy intake and improved stool frequency in constipated children (15). Pulse fractions include resistant starch and galactooligosaccharides such as raffinose, stachyose, and verbascose (17,25), which provide benefits such as blood glucose control and improved gastrointestinal function.…”