Is Chickpea a Potential Substitute for Soybean? Phenolic Bioactives and Potential Health Benefits

Abstract

Legume seeds are rich sources of protein, fiber, and minerals. In addition, their phenolic compounds as secondary metabolites render health benefits beyond basic nutrition. Lowering apolipoprotein B secretion from HepG2 cells and decreasing the level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol oxidation are mechanisms related to the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Likewise, low-level chronic inflammation and related disorders of the immune system are clinical predictors of cardiovascular pathology. Furthermore, DNA-damage signaling and repair are crucial pathways to the etiology of human cancers. Along CVD and cancer, the prevalence of obesity and diabetes is constantly increasing. Screening the ability of polyphenols in inactivating digestive enzymes is a good option in pre-clinical studies. In addition, in vivo studies support the role of polyphenols in the prevention and/or management of diabetes and obesity. Soybean, a well-recognized source of phenolic isoflavones, exerts health benefits by decreasing oxidative stress and inflammation related to the above-mentioned chronic ailments. Similar to soybeans, chickpeas are good sources of nutrients and phenolic compounds, especially isoflavones. This review summarizes the potential of chickpea as a substitute for soybean in terms of health beneficial outcomes. Therefore, this contribution may guide the industry in manufacturing functional foods and/or ingredients by using an undervalued feedstock.

Germination conditions influence the physical characteristics, isoflavones, and vitamin C of soybean sprouts

“…These results are consistent with that described by Ramadan (2012), who observed that the chemical composition of two soybean cultivars ('Giza 21' and 'Giza 35') germinated at 30°C for 40 hours and 60 hours, respectively, did not change in comparison to that of nongerminated soybean. In the present study, although the chemical composition did not change during germination, the values are within the average range for soybean, corroborating those observed by Camargo et al (2019) in whole seed: 4.42-6.29% ash, 14.9-23.3% lipid, and 36.3-47.0% protein.…”

Optimizing the potential bioactivity of isoflavones from soybeans via ultrasound pretreatment: Antioxidant potential and NF‐κB activation

“…As mentioned in the manuscript “the concentration of genistein in treated soybean increased by up to 95%.” The role of genistein as an anti‐inflammatory compound was summarized by de Camargo, Favero, et al (). The study of the mechanisms involved for the effect of genistein on the inflammatory responses in LPS‐activated RAW 264.7 macrophages is beyond the mandate of the present study, as our main goal was to verify if US pretreated soybean samples would be more effective in inhibiting the activation of the NF‐kB.…”

“…Our results demonstrate that US (treatment 8) increases the anti‐inflammatory potential of the soybean samples. Therefore, due to well documented action of isoflavone aglycones in modulating pro‐inflammatory mediators such as TNF‐α, IL‐6, IL‐8, and IL‐1β (de Camargo, Favero, et al, ; Jeong et al, ; Ji et al, ; Venza et al, ), one can infer that US pretreated soybean samples may serve as a better source of anti‐inflammatory molecules compared to the control and this may be attributed to their improved concentration of isoflavones as aglycones, especially genistein.…”

“…As mentioned in the manuscript "the concentration of genistein in treated soybean increased by up to 95%." The role of genistein as an anti-inflammatory compound was summarized by de Camargo, Favero, et al (2019). all over the body as resident cells that act as sentinels, triggering a cascade of inflammatory mediators when facing a strange organism (Davies, Jenkins, Allen, & Taylor, 2013).…”

An Animal Study to Compare Hepatoprotective Effects Between Fermented Rice Bran and Fermented Rice Germ and Soybean in a Sprague-Dawley Rat Model of Alcohol-Induced Hepatic Injury

“…Fermented soybean is incubated with Aspergillus oryzae, Bacillus subtilis and Rhizopus oligosporus, and it has a higher degree of anti-lipid peroxidative effects compared with steam soybeans [56,59,60]. Its active constituents include free isoflavones, such as daidzein and genistein, which are considered major antioxidants [61][62][63].…”