Calidad de la proteína de las leguminosas grano: un tema candente

Grain legumes, also called pulses, play a key role in the nutritional improvement of food and feed. These legumes are important sources of protein as well as other nutritional compounds. Today, protein is one of the most sought after ingredients in the market and grain legumes represent one of the most sustainable protein sources. However, not all grain legume proteins are nutritionally equal. Their quality varies and depends on their amino acid composition and digestibility. In this article, we review concepts related to grain legume protein quality and discuss challenges regarding their genetic improvement. A comprehensive database of grain legume amino acid profiles and protein digestibility is needed to address the matter of protein quality in grain legume breeding. This database will be enhanced by quantitative information on digestibility-reducing bioactive compounds and the development of reliable screening tools. The achievement of higher protein quality grain legume varieties, better adjusted to animal and human requirements, will cut dietary protein content, associated costs and nitrogen excretion, thus reducing the environmental impact.Las leguminosas grano tienen un alto potencial en alimentación humana y animal siendo una importante fuente de proteínas así como de otros compuestos beneficiosos para la nutrición y salud. La proteína es uno de los ingredientes más demandados y las leguminosas grano son una delas fuentes más sostenible de proteína. Sin embargo, no todas las leguminosas grano son igual de nutritivas, variando la calidad con la composición de aminoácidos y su digestibilidad. En este artículo revisaremos los conceptos de calidad de la proteína y discutiremos las posibilidades de mejora genética. Para abordar con éxito la mejora de la calidad de la proteína será de gran ayuda disponer de bases de datos con los perfiles de aminoácidos y de digestibilidad, así como de información cuantitativa sobre los compuestos bioactivos que reducen la digestibilidad, todo ello unido a métodos fiables para su evaluación. El desarrollo de variedades de leguminosas con una proteína de mayor calidad, más ajustadas a las necesidades tanto humanas como del ganado, permitirá una mayor eficiencia nutritiva, reduciendo el contenido de proteína en la dieta y los costes asociados, así como la excreción de nitrógeno, disminuyendo el impacto medioambiental

Grain legume protein quality: a hot subject

Grain legumes, also called pulses, play a key role in the nutritional improvement of food and feed. These legumes are important sources of protein as well as other nutritional compounds. Today, protein is one of the most sought after ingredients in the market and grain legumes represent one of the most sustainable protein sources. However, not all grain legume proteins are nutritionally equal. Their quality varies and depends on their amino acid composition and digestibility. In this article, we review concepts related to grain legume protein quality and discuss challenges regarding their genetic improvement. A comprehensive database of grain legume amino acid profiles and protein digestibility is needed to address the matter of protein quality in grain legume breeding. This database will be enhanced by quantitative information on digestibility-reducing bioactive compounds and the development of reliable screening tools. The achievement of higher protein quality grain legume varieties, better adjusted to animal and human requirements, will cut dietary protein content, associated costs and nitrogen excretion, thus reducing the environmental impact.<br><br>Las leguminosas grano tienen un alto potencial en alimentación humana y animal siendo una importante fuente de proteínas así como de otros compuestos beneficiosos para la nutrición y salud. La proteína es uno de los ingredientes más demandados y las leguminosas grano son una delas fuentes más sostenible de proteína. Sin embargo, no todas las leguminosas grano son igual de nutritivas, variando la calidad con la composición de aminoácidos y su digestibilidad. En este artículo revisaremos los conceptos de calidad de la proteína y discutiremos las posibilidades de mejora genética. Para abordar con éxito la mejora de la calidad de la proteína será de gran ayuda disponer de bases de datos con los perfiles de aminoácidos y de digestibilidad, así como de información cuantitativa sobre los compuestos bioactivos que reducen la digestibilidad, todo ello unido a métodos fiables para su evaluación. El desarrollo de variedades de leguminosas con una proteína de mayor calidad, más ajustadas a las necesidades tanto humanas como del ganado, permitirá una mayor eficiencia nutritiva, reduciendo el contenido de proteína en la dieta y los costes asociados, así como la excreción de nitrógeno, disminuyendo el impacto medioambiental

Two Sides of the Same Coin: The Impact of Grain Legumes on Human Health: Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) as a Case Study

Data from Food and Agriculture Organization indicate the worrying scenario of severe food insecurity in the world and the contrasting high prevalence of obesity (13% of the world adult population) in both developing and developed countries. Sustainable agriculture systems with increased inclusion of grain legume species and the boosting of public awareness about legume importance on diet should be a priority issue to eradicate malnutrition and promote public health. However, grain legume production and consumption are in constant state of decline, especially in the European Union. Assigned as the “poor man’s meat”, “promoters of flatulence”, or incorrectly classified as “starchy foods”, grain legumes have a negative image in modern societies. In fact, legumes represent an important source of protein, fiber, vitamins (e.g. folate) and minerals (e.g. magnesium). Moreover, legumes are rich in bioactive compounds (e.g. phenolic compounds, protease and α-amylase inhibitors) acting as a “double-edged sword” in human health. They may impair nutrients availability exerting at the same time beneficial biological activities in lipid profile, inflammation, glycaemia and weight. The present chapter is focused on the advantages of a legume-rich diet for health promotion at a global scale, reviewing legume nutritional and bioactive compounds, with particular emphasis on common bean

Hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives in broa, a traditional ethnic maize bread

This research was funded by EUROPEAN UNION'S SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement number 245058, by FUNDACAO PARA A CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA and PORTUGAL 2020 to the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network, grant number LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125 and by FUNDACAO PARA A CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA through IF/01337/2014 FCT Investigator contract (MCVP) and research unit GREEN-IT (UID/Multi/04551/2020).Maize is one of the most interesting dietary sources of hydroxycinnamic acids, widely known for their beneficial health effects, namely antioxidant properties. This work aims to identify hydroxycinnamic acids and their derivatives in broa, a Portuguese traditional ethnic maize bread, and corresponding maize flours. Soluble and insoluble phenolic fractions of diverse maize flours and corresponding broas were prepared and analysed by HPLC‐DAD‐MS/MS (high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with diode array detector and tandem mass spectrometry). Besides free hydroxycinnamic acids, mainly ferulic and p‐coumaric acids, several structural isomers and stereoisomers of insoluble ferulic acid dehydrodimers (n = 18) and trimers (n = 11), were also identified. Hydroxycinnamic acid amides consisting of coumaroyl and feruloyl conjugates (n = 22) were present in both soluble and insoluble fractions of maize flours and breads, in different isomeric forms. A new compound was putatively identified as bis‐N,N′‐diferuloyl putrescine. Additionally, more complex and insoluble hydroxycinnamic acid amides, derived from ferulic acid dehydrodimers (n = 47) and trimers (n = 18), were also putatively identified for the first time, suggesting that hydroxycinnamic acid amides are also linked to maize cell walls. Since hydroxycinnamic derivatives were not only identified in maize flours, but also in broas, they can contribute to the antioxidant properties and beneficial health effects of maize‐based foods.publishersversionpublishe

An improved HILIC HPLC-MS/MS method for the determination of β-ODAP and Its α isomer in lathyrus sativus

This research was funded by EUROPEAN UNION'S SEVENTH FRAMEWORK PROGRAMME for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement number 613551 and by FUNDACAO PARA A CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA (IF/01337/2014, PTDC/AGR-TEC/0992/2014) and PORTUGAL 2020 to the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network, grant number LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125.β-N-Oxalyl-l-α,β-diaminopropionic acid (β-ODAP) is a non-protein amino acid present in Lathyrus sativus (grass pea) and other Lathyrus species, in parallel with its nontoxic isomer, α-ODAP. When consuming grass pea for several months as staple food, β-ODAP may cause neurolathyrism, a motor neuron degeneration syndrome. Therefore, the independent quantification of both ODAP isomers instead of only the total amount in grass pea allows the identification of less toxic varieties and the development of tools to support breeding for improving grass pea quality. In this work, a simple and fast HPLC-MS/MS method was developed without sample derivatization, using a hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) column and an isocratic gradient of eluents for 18 min, which allowed the determination of both α- and β-ODAP. The proposed method was fully validated and applied to the determination of α- and β-ODAP contents in a diverse collection of 107 grass pea accessions representative of the main grass pea-growing geographical regions in the world, with the prompt identification of contrasting accessions. β-ODAP content in the analyzed grass pea samples ranged from 0.45 ± 0.02 to 6.04 ± 0.45 mg g-1. The moderate correlation found between α- and β-ODAP contents (0.65) in this collection reinforces the importance of the independent quantification of both ODAP isomers.publishersversionpublishe

Shedding light on the volatile composition of broa, a traditional portuguese maize bread

Funding Information: Funding: This research was funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement number 245058, and by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through research unit GREEN-IT (UID/Multi/04551/2020). Funding Information: This research was funded by the European Union?s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement number 245058, and by Funda??o para a Ci?ncia e Tecnologia through research unit GREEN-IT (UID/Multi/04551/2020). Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.In Portugal, maize has been used for centuries to produce an ethnic bread called broa, em-ploying traditional maize varieties, which are preferred by the consumers in detriment of commercial hybrids. In order to evaluate the maize volatiles that can influence consumers’ acceptance of broas, twelve broas were prepared from twelve maize varieties (eleven traditional and one commercial hybrid), following a traditional recipe. All maize flours and broas were analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS (headspace solid-phase microextraction) and broas were appraised by a consumer sensory panel. In addition, the major soluble phenolics and total carotenoids contents were quantitated in order to evaluate their influence as precursors or inhibitors of volatile compounds. Results showed that the major volatiles detected in maize flours and broas were aldehydes and alcohols, derived from lipid oxidation, and some ketones derived from carotenoids’ oxidation. Both lipid and carotenoids’ oxidation reactions appeared to be inhibited by soluble phenolics. In contrast, phenolic compounds appeared to increase browning reactions during bread making and, consequently, the production of pyranones. Traditional samples, especially those with higher contents in pyranones and lower contents in aldehydes, were preferred by the consumer sensory panel. These findings suggest that, without awareness, consumers prefer broas prepared from traditional maize flours with higher contents in health-promoting phenolic compounds, reinforcing the importance of preserving these valuable genetic resources.publishersversionpublishe

Variation in pea (Pisum Sativum L.) seed quality traits defined by physicochemical functional properties

Pea is one of the most produced and consumed pulse crops around the world. The study of genetic variability within pea germplasm is an important tool to identify outstanding accessions with optimal functional and nutritional qualities. In the present study, a collection of 105 pea accessions was analysed for physicochemical properties, pasting viscosity, and basic composition parameters. While pasting viscosities were negatively correlated to hydration capacity, cooking time, and basic composition, a positive correlation was found between the hydration capacity and the basic composition parameters. Basic composition (protein, fibre, fat, and resistant starch) parameters were further evaluated regarding seed trait morphology, namely, seed shape, colour, and surface. Allelic characterisation at the r and rb genetic loci was performed in a subgroup of 32 accessions (3 phenotyped as smooth and 29 as rough seeded), revealing that none of the initially classified rough-seeded accessions were rb mutants, 19 were r mutants, and 13 were neither r nor rb. Despite their initial phenotypic classification, the 13 accessions genetically classified as smooth behaved differently (p < 0.05) to the 19 r mutants in terms of physicochemical properties, pasting viscosity, and basic composition parameters. Using multivariate analysis of the most discriminatory parameters for the food-related traits studied, the best-performing accessions at functional and nutritional levels were identified for future plant breeding to improve field pea production and consumption.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

High Inter- and Intra- Diversity of Amino Acid Content and Protein Digestibility Disclosed in Five Cool Season Legume Species with a Growing Market Demand

Funding Information: This research was funded by the Fundação Para a Ciência e Tecnologia through R&D Research Unit GREEN-IT-Bioresources for Sustainability (UIDB/04551/2020 and UIDP/04551/2020), Portugal 2020 through the Portuguese Mass Spectrometry Network (LISBOA-01-0145-FEDER-402-022125); and European Union through the project LEGumes for the Agriculture of TOmorrow (LEGATO), FP7 Framework Program (Grant Agreement 613551) and project Co-constructing interactive short and mid-tier food chains to value agrobiodiversity in healthy plant-based food (DIVINFOOD), Horizon 2020 (Grant Agreement 101000383). iNOVA4Health (UIDB/04462/2020 and UIDP/04462/2020) and the Associate Laboratories LS4FUTURE (LA/P/0087/2020). Spanish AEI support through the PID2020-114668RB-I00 project is also acknowledged. Publisher Copyright: © 2023 by the authors.Legumes have been sought as alternative protein sources to ensure food security and environmental sustainability. Characterizing their protein content and quality, including in underutilized grain legumes, e.g., grass pea, gives value to the legumes’ underexplored variability. To fill the gap of knowledge in legumes’ protein quality, for the first time, five extensive collections of cool season grain legumes were cropped under the same environmental conditions and further analyzed. Multivariate analysis showed the existent intra- and inter-species variability. The legume species with the highest protein content, grass pea, Lathyrus sativus (LS), was not the one with the overall highest individual amino acids content and in vitro protein digestibility. With these last characteristics lentil, Lens culinaris (LC), was highlighted. The highest average values of arginine (Arg), glutamic acid (Glu), and threonine (Thr) were found in LS and Vicia faba (VF). Cicer arietinum (CA) stood out as the species with the highest values of Thr and methionine (Met). Regarding the in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD), LC, followed by Pisum sativum (PS) and LS, were the legume species with the highest values. Ultimately, this study bought to the fore legume species that are not commonly used in western diets but have high adaptability to the European agricultural systems.publishersversionpublishe

Application of the CATA methodology with children: Qualitative approach on ballot development and product characterization of innovative products

There is an increasing importance of the role of children and adolescents in the food market and to successfully develop food products intended for them, it is necessary to apply proper sensory evaluation methodologies. Although children can execute traditional methods for food liking and preference evaluation, traditional sensory descriptive methods may not be suitable for them and it is necessary to assess their ability to perform novel sensory profiling methods. Thus, this study aimed to assess children’s acceptance of an innovative food product – cookies incorporating fermented grass pea (Lathyrus sativus) flour – and their ability to describe a sensory profile using a Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) approach. Two different types of cookies (salty and sweet) were developed, differing in the level of substitution of wheat flour by fermented grass pea flour (between 0 and 40%). The cookies were evaluated by two sensory panels of 60 children (8–12 years), who assessed the overall liking using a 7-point facial hedonic scale and the sensory profile of the samples using a CATA ballot with 21 sensory terms previously developed through focus groups with children. Children showed the ability to discriminate the different samples with the hedonic scale and according to their sensory profile. Results revealed that the focusgroup with children is an adequate way to generate CATA ballots and that the CATA approach is adequate to evaluate how children discriminate the sensory profile of food products. Furthermore, the food neophobia level of the children negatively impacted their acceptance of the food productsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio