Nutritional Characterization of Chilean Landraces of Common Bean

Abstract

Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is the primary grain legume cultivated worldwide for direct human consumption due to the high nutritional value of its seeds and pods. The high protein content of common beans highlights it as the most promising source of plant-based protein for the food industry. Additionally, landraces of common bean have great variability in nutritional traits, which is necessary to increase the nutritional quality of elite varieties. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to nutritionally characterize 23 Chilean landraces and 5 commercial varieties of common bean to identify genotypes with high nutritional value that are promising for the food industry and for genetic improvement programs. The landrace Phv23 (‘Palo’) was the most outstanding with high concentrations of minerals such as P (7.53 g/kg), K (19.8 g/kg), Mg (2.43 g/kg), Zn (52.67 mg/kg), and Cu (13.67 mg/kg); essential amino acids (364.8 mg/g protein); and total proteins (30.35 g/100 g seed). Additionally, the landraces Phv9 (‘Cimarrón’), Phv17 (‘Juanita’), Phv3 (‘Araucano’), Phv8 (‘Cabrita/Señorita’), and Phv4 (‘Arroz’) had a high protein content. The landrace Phv24 (‘Peumo’) stood out for its phenolic compounds (TPC = 218.1 mg GA/100 g seed) and antioxidant activity (ORAC = 22,167.9 μmol eq trolox/100 g extract), but it has moderate to low mineral and protein concentrations. In general, the concentration of nutritional compounds in some Chilean landraces was significantly different from the commercial varieties, highlighting their high nutritional value and their potential use for the food industry and for genetic improvement purposes.

A Past Genetic Bottleneck from Argentine Beans and a Selective Sweep Led to the Race Chile of the Common Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.)

“…The protein content varied from 18 to 26 g/100 g [10], and phaseolin type 'C' and 'T' are the most abundant [12]. Recently, a more comprehensive study confirmed the wide variation for different nutritional components (soluble protein, amino acid, sugars, mineral composition, antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content) and antinutritional (raffinose) components in race Chile [11]. They concluded that common bean types such as 'Tórtola', 'Frutilla', 'Sapito', and 'Palo', among others, have high nutritional value, confirming the value of this genetic resource.…”

“…In fact, the Chilean common bean is cultivated from Arica (18 • 28 ′ 40 ′′ S-70 • 19 ′ 05 ′′ W, average temperature of 22 • C, and precipitation of 0-1 mm per year) to Chiloé (42 • 40 ′ 36 ′′ S-73 • 59 ′ 36 ′′ W; average temperature of 9.8 • C, and precipitation of ~1200 mm per year), which have allowed it to possess adaptations and characteristics that are unique, differing from the other common bean races described around the world [9]. From a nutritional point of view, Chilean landraces of common bean have shown a wide variability for seed macro-and micronutrients such as N, Fe, and Zn [10], a high content of serine, a wide variability of total phenolic content, and a range of healthy proteins, suggesting that this genetic resource is a valuable source of plant-based protein for direct consumption and/or for the development of functional ingredients [11]. In this context, the race Chile of common bean represents a valuable genetic resource with unique local adaptations that can be key to coping with the challenges of global climate change and a nutritionally valuable crop necessary to ensure food safety.…”