Skip to main content
Log in

The nutritional quality and toxin content of wild and cultivated lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus)

Plant Foods for Human Nutrition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Proximal analysis, amino acid profile, trypsin inhibitor content, hemagglutinin content and HCN generated from cyanogenic glucosides were determined in four wild and three cultivated varieties ofPhaseolus lunatus. All the wild beans showed a higher protein content than the cultivated beans, but no big differences were found in the other nutrients. The essential amino acid percentage was higher in the cultivated beans than in the wild seeds, which was reflected in the PER determination. The most remarkable difference found between wild and cultivated beans was the high concentration of HCN in all wild varieties. The high concentration of protein found in the wild seed could be a false result from the nitrogen provided by the cyanogenic glucosides.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. AOAC (1970) Official Methods of Analysis. Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. 11th edn. Washington, D.C.

  2. Díaz de Sandi J, Uribe MG, De la Vega A (1976) Thesis Evaluación nutritiva de leguminosas silvestres. Facultad de Química. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. México

    Google Scholar 

  3. FAO/WHO (1973) Energy and protein requirements. Report of joint FAO/WHO ad hoc expert committee. Tech Rep Ser Wld Hth Org 522:62–64

    Google Scholar 

  4. Finks AJ, Johns CO (1921) The nutritive value of the proteins of the lima bean,Phasolus lunatus. Am J Physiol 56:205–207

    Google Scholar 

  5. Frankel-Contrat H, Bean RC, Ducay ED, Olcott HS (1952) Isolation and characterization of a trypsin inhibitor from lima beans. Arch Biochem Biophys 37:393–407

    Google Scholar 

  6. Franklin WM, Waszczenko ZW, Shertz KF (1964) Lectin content of the lima bean during development of the seed and seedling. Ann Botany (London) 28:319–324

    Google Scholar 

  7. Galbralth W, Goldstein IJ (1972) Phytohemagglutinin on the lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) isolation, characterization and interaction with type ‘A” blood-group substance. Biochemistry 11:3976–3984

    Google Scholar 

  8. Jaffé WG, Levy A, González DI (1974) Isolation and partial characterization of bean phytohemagglutinins. Phytochemistry 13:2685–2693

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kakade ML, Simons N, Liener IE (1969) An evaluation of natural vs synthetic substrates for measuring the antitryptic activity of soybean samples. Cereal Chem 46:518–526

    Google Scholar 

  10. Lucas B, Sotelo A (1984) A simplified test for quantitation of cyanogenic glucosides in wild and cultivated seeds. Nutr Rep Int 29:711–719

    Google Scholar 

  11. Luh BS, Maneepun S, Rucker RB (1975) Biological quality and functional properties of lima bean protein for bread enrichment. Nutr Clin Nutr 1, Pt. 2, 135–160

    Google Scholar 

  12. Maneepun S Luh BS, Rucker RB (1974) Amino acid composition and biological quality of lima bean protein. J Food Sci 39:171–174

    Google Scholar 

  13. Moore S, Stein WH (1963) Chromatographic determination of amino acids by the use of automatic recording equipment. In: Colowick SP, Kaplan NO (eds.) Mehods in Enzymology, Vol. VI. Academic Press, New York, pp 819–830

    Google Scholar 

  14. Morgan WTJ, Watkins WM (1953) The inhbition of the hemagglutinins in plant seeds by human blood group sustances and simple sugars. Brit J Expl Pathol 34:94–103

    Google Scholar 

  15. Osborne TB, Mendel LB, Ferry EL (1919) A method of expressing numerically the growth promoting value of protein. J Biol Chem 37:223

    Google Scholar 

  16. Rama Dao MV, Tara MR, Chandra K (1974) Colorimetric estimation of tryptophan content of pulses. J Food Sci Tech 2:213

    Google Scholar 

  17. Rogers QR, Harper AE (1965) Amino acid diets and maximal growth in the rat. J Nutr 87:267–273

    Google Scholar 

  18. Serrano CB (1923) Hydrocyanic acid inPhaseolus lunatus and other beans. Philippine Agr 11:163–175

    Google Scholar 

  19. Steel RGD, Torrie JN (1960) Principles and Procedures of Statistics. McGraw Hill Book Co., New York

    Google Scholar 

  20. Tauber H, Kershaw B, Wright R (1949) Studies on the growth inhibitor fraction of lima beans and isolation of a cristalline heat-stable trypsin inhibitor. J Biol Chem 179:1155–1166

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

De La Vega, A., Sotelo, A. The nutritional quality and toxin content of wild and cultivated lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus). Plant Food Hum Nutr 36, 75–83 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01091755

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01091755

Key words

Navigation