Total phenolic and saponin components were extracted from 13 commonly consumed food legumes produced in China, and then a systematic comparative study was conducted to investigate their inhibitory effects against digestive enzymes, pancreatic lipase and α-glycosidase, respectively. Saponin extract (1 mg/mL) from black bean exhibited the highest (41.8%) pancreatic lipase inhibitory effect, followed by phenolic extract from adzuki bean with 36.3%, saponin extract from yellow soybean with 34.1%, saponin extract from pinto bean with 32.6%. It is worth mentioning that both phenolic and saponin extracts from mung bean, adzuki bean, lima Downloaded by [Simon Fraser University] at 04:41 17 March 2015A c c e p t e d M a n u s c r i p t 2 bean, and pinto bean exhibited inhibitory effects against pancreatic lipase. Among four beans, adzuki bean had the highest inhibitory effects against pancreatic lipase activity. In the α-glycosidase assays, phenolic extracts exhibited stronger α-glycosidase inhibitory activity than that of saponins in general. Phenolic extracts of adzuki bean, black bean, fava bean, lentil, rock bean, and red kidney bean inhibited over 80% of α-glycosidase activity at the concentration of 1 mg/mL. Both phenolic and saponin extracts from adzuki bean and rock bean exhibited inhibitory effects against α-glycosidase. The results indicate that adzuki bean is one of the best target beans for further study on their anti-obesity and anti-diabetes effects via cell and animal models.