Navy and black bean supplementation attenuates colitis-associated inflammation and colonic epithelial damage.

The enriched levels of nondigestible fermentable carbohydrates and phenolic compounds found in common beans can exert immunomodulatory effects within the colon that improve gut health and mitigate the severity of colitis-associated inflammatory pathology. Prior to acute colitis onset, C57Bl/6 mice were prefed isocaloric 20% cooked navy bean (NB) or black bean (BB) diets for 3 weeks and switched to control basal diet (BD) 24 h prior to colitis induction via 5-day exposure to dextran sodium sulfate (2% w/v in drinking water)+3 days of fresh water. The severity of the acute colitis phenotype was attenuated by bean prefeeding, evidenced by reduced colon tissue inflammatory transcription factor activation (NFκB, STAT3) and inflammatory mediator levels in the colon (IL-1ß, IL-6, IL-18 and MCP-1) and serum (TNFα, IL-6, IL-1ß, MCP-1) versus BD (P≤.05). Additionally, biomarkers of enhanced wound repair responses were increased by bean prefeeding including colon tissue protein levels of IL-22, IL-27 and activated (i.e., GTP-bound) Cdc42 and Rac1 versus BD (P≤.05). mRNA expressions of genes involved in normal colonic epithelial function and the promotion of epithelial barrier integrity, defense and/or restitution and wound closure including MUC1, RELMß, IgA and REG3γ were all increased in NB and BB prefed mice versus BD (P≤.05). Collectively, bean supplementation prior to colitis induction (i.e., mimicking disease relapse) primes the colonic microenvironment to attenuate the severity of the colitis inflammatory phenotype and maintain aspects of epithelial barrier function.

Physicochemical Properties and in Vitro Digestibility of Cooked Regular and Nondarkening Cranberry Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and Their Effects on Bioaccessibility, Phenolic Composition, and Antioxidant Activity.

Cranberry beans from regular (RR) and nondarkening (CND) genotypes were pressure cooked, and free, conjugated, and bound phenolics were analyzed. Simulated in vitro gastrointestinal digestion was used to assess the bioaccessibility of these phenolic fractions. Total phenolic content decreased after cooking and digestion, whereas individual phenolic compounds were affected differently. Cooking significantly increased the release of bound ferulic and sinapic acids and flavanols, whereas digestion released p-coumaric, ferulic, and sinapic acids in both genotypes, and p-hydroxybenzoic acid, epicatechin, and catechin in only RR. Bioaccessibility of phenolics in RR and CND was 8.75 and 14.69%, respectively. Difference in total phenolics was smaller after digestion, and enzymes potentially secreted by colonic bacteria released similar amounts of phenolic acids in both varieties. Resistant and slowly digestible starch contents showed no differences between RR and CND. These results suggest that the lower phenolic content in raw CND may not completely negate its impact on gut health.

Characterization of free, conjugated and bound phenolics and lipophilic antioxidants in regular- and non-darkening cranberry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.).

Cranberry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) from 7 different cultivars were characterized for phytochemicals and assessed for antioxidant activities. In vitro colorimetric methods were used to measure total phenolic (TPC) and total proanthocyanidin (PAC) contents. Free, conjugated and bound phenolic acids and flavonoids were also identified and quantified using HPLC-DAD/ESI-MS(n). Regular-darkening (RD) seeds contained higher TPC, PAC and flavonoids which were absent in the non-darkening (ND) seeds. Bound and conjugated phenolics in RD and ND mainly included cinnamic and benzoic acids. DPPH, FRAP and ORAC showed strong positive correlation with TPC, PAC, and with specific phenolics such as free catechin and bound p-hydroxybenzoic acid. Lipophilic extracts were rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (69.20-76.89%). Carotenoid and tocopherol were limited to γ-tocopherol and ß-carotene. Results from this study can contribute to the development of cranberry bean cultivars with increased health benefits and addresses specific phenolic contributors to antioxidant activity.