Contents



Preface

Legumes are a treasured and cost-effective source of high-quality proteins (20–50% of seed content) in the human diet, with outstanding nutritional and nutraceutical properties. They jointly encompass the necessary genetic diversity to cope with different environmental stresses that are becoming more numerous while stimulating the agriculture and food security industries as climate resilience effects are increasingly accentuated. In the near future, humanity will have to face many global challenges, a good number of them are driven by climate change. These include global food security strategies to develop sustainable protein sources for an increasing population, reducing waste production, lowering the release of greenhouse gases, and promoting recycling and a more circular economy. In this context, legumes are fundamental crops meeting the needs as significant sources of plant-based proteins—for humans and livestock

Legume proteins play a key role in food nutrition. However, more recently, the nutraceutical aspects of a variety of legume seed compounds are being investigated for their numerous health benefits. These compounds contain anti-inflammatory molecules with properties that assist in the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular diseases, type II diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cancer, etc. Specifically, these are storage proteins belonging to proteins of different families, such as Vicilin (7-S type globulin), Legumin (11S-type globulin), 2S albumin, glutelins, enzymes, enzyme inhibitors, and lectins, which integrate part of the defensive mechanism of the seed. These positive properties of legume proteins on human health may be a consequence of unique structure-functional features, raised properties of derived peptides from their hydrolysis, or even modification of legume proteins for improved functionality and digestibility.

Legume proteins from pea, lentil, lupine, chickpea, and other types of beans are valuable for functional food production, making them outstanding ingredients for food production with improved nutritional and technological properties; they show a wide range of techno-functional properties such as emulsification and stability activity, foam formation and stabilization, gel formation, and water-holding capacity. These technological characteristics are fundamental for the ultimate effect that food containing legume proteins will have on human health. Knowing the advantages and potential inconveniences of legume seed proteins in food production, industrial

This book provides an overview of the health benefits, functional properties, and industrial applications of legume seed compounds, mainly proteins. The book also includes updated information from original research and providing novel research

> **Dr. Jose Carlos Jimenez-Lopez** Estacion Experimental del Zaidin,

> > Granada, Spain

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC),

and at an affordable cost.

applications can be more easily achieved.

literature data on these topics.
