Chemical Parameters and Biological Activity of Phenolic Compounds in Phaseolus vulgaris and Phaseolus coccineus Beans

摘要

The potential health benefits of consuming beans as nutraceuticals have largely been overlooked. The seed coat of dry beans is rich in phenolic compounds, which are effective antimutagens and anticarcinogens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of phenolic compound concentration on the antioxidant and antimutagenic activities of polyphenols from the seed coat of Phaseolus vulgaris and Phaseolus coccineus black seeded cultivars. The antioxidant potential was evaluated in vitro. The antimutagenic activity of phenolic compounds against aflatoxin B| was tested using a microsuspension assay. The methanolic extracts from the seed coat exhibited antioxidant activity that correlated with phenolic content. P. coccineus had the highest content of phenolic compounds (925.55 ± 73 mg eq. (+) catechin/g). P. vulgaris showed higher values of anthocyanins than P, coccineus (60.74 ± 4.25 and 8.64 ± 0.43 mg eq. (+) cyanidin-3-glucoside/kg, respectively). The antimutagenicity of phenolic compounds from P. coccineus cv 'Ayocote Negro' was higher than that of P. vulgaris cv 'Negro Jamapa.' Due to the antimutagenic activity of their chemical constituents, these beans could be used as nutraceuticals or as ingredients in functional foods.