Spraying calcium chloride helps to enhance the resistance of kidney bean plants to western flower thrips.

BACKGROUND: The western flower thrips (WFT), Frankliniella occidentalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae), is a significant pest in horticulture and ornamental agriculture. While exogenous calcium (Ca) has been shown to confer plant immune responses against thrips, the detailed mechanisms of this interaction remain to be elucidated for improved thrips management strategies. This study aimed to assess the impact of exogenous Ca on WFT feeding behavior and to explore its role in enhancing the defense mechanisms of kidney bean plants against WFT attacks. We compared WFT feeding preferences and efficiency on kidney bean plants treated with H2O or Ca, and examined whether exogenous Ca improves plant defense responses to thrips attack. RESULTS: WFT exhibited less preference for feeding on Ca-treated plants over H2O-treated ones. The total duration of WFT's long-ingestion probes was significantly reduced on Ca-treated plants, indicating impaired feeding efficiency. Furthermore, WFT infestation activated both jasmonic acid (JA) and salicylic acid (SA) signaling pathways in kidney bean plants, and exogenous Ca application led to elevated levels of endogenous Ca2+ and CaM, up-regulation of genes associated with JA and SA pathways (LOX, AOS, PAL, and ß-1,3-glucanase), and increased accumulation of JA, SA, flavonoids, and alkaloids. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that the application of exogenous Ca enhances endogenous Ca2+, JA, and SA signaling pathways in kidney bean plants. This enhancement results in an up-regulation of the biosynthesis of flavonoid and alkaloid, thereby equipping the plants with an enhanced defense against WFT infestation. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.

Physicochemical, Sensory, and Microbiological Analysis of Fermented Drinks Made from White Kidney Bean Extract and Cow's Milk Blends during Refrigerated Storage.

Due to its low dietary impact and bioactive compounds, such as polyphenols and flavonoids, white kidney bean extract is an attractive raw material for fermented drinks. It can be utilized either on its own or blended with cow's milk, offering a promising solution to help meet dairy product demand during mid-season shortages. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the physicochemical characteristics, sensory properties, and microbiological profile of fermented milk-like drinks made from white kidney bean extract, cow's milk and their blends during 28 days of storage at 4 °C. Three blends of fermented milk-like drinks (FMLDs) were prepared from different ratios of cow's milk (CM) and kidney bean extract (BE): FMLD1 (CM 30%:BE 70%); FMLD2 (CM 50%:BE 50%), FMLD3 (CM 70%:BE 30%), along with plain fermented kidney been extract (FBE; CM 0%:BE 100%), and plain fermented cow's milk (FCM; CM 100%:BE 0%). The mixtures were pasteurized at 92 °C for 25 min and fermented with a probiotic-type starter culture (S. thermophilus, B. bifidum, L. acidophilus) at 43 °C. FBE exhibited the lowest levels of carbohydrates (2.14%), fat (0.11%), and protein (1.45%) compared to fermented cow's milk and blends. The FBE and the fermented blends with a higher ratio of bean extract had lower viscosity and lactic acid contents, greener hue, more pronounced aftertaste and off-flavors, and received lower overall acceptability scores. Although the FCM had higher counts of S. thermophilus and L. acidophilus, the FBE displayed significantly higher counts of B. bifidum. This study demonstrated the potential of using white kidney bean extract and its blends with cow's milk to create unique fermented products with a lower dietary impact, highlighting the importance of further optimizing the formulations to enhance sensory qualities and reduce the beany off-flavors in the products with added kidney bean extract.

Effect of graphene oxide on carbon and nitrogen metabolism and growth of kidney bean at flowering stage.

Graphene oxide (GO) is a novel nanomaterial being applied in different fields, but was less used as foliar fertilizer in agriculture. We conducted a pot experiment to analyze the effects of foliar spraying GO from 0 (control), 50 (T1), 100 (T2), 150 (T3) and 200 mg·L-1 (T4) on the morphogenesis and carbon and nitrogen metabolism of kidney bean plants during the initiation of flowering to clarify the physiological effects of foliar spraying GO. The results showed that dry matter accumulation, the content of photosynthetic pigments, soluble sugars of T1 to T4 treatments, were significantly increased by 40.7%-43.4%, 10.4%-80.7%, 6.4%-9.1% in kidney bean plants compared with CK treatment, respectively. T3 treatment performed the best. Meanwhile, the activities of sucrose phosphate synthase, acid converting enzyme and neutral converting enzyme of T3 and T4 treatments were increased by 25.7%-45.5%, 17.4%-28.6%, and 14.7%-20.1%, and the activities of nitrate reductase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamate synthetase of T2 and T3 treatments were increased by 8.1%-15.2%, 11.5%-25.0%, and 89.7%-93.1%, respectively. In conclusion, foliar spraying of appropriate GO in early flowering stage of kidney bean could increase the content of photosynthetic pigments, improve the level of photosynthetic carbon and nitrogen metabolism, and increase dry matter accumulation. T3 treatment (150 mg·L-1) was the most effective in this study.

Purification and characterization of α-amylase from Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae).

Acanthoscelides obtectus is one of the most notorious pests of stored kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) worldwide. Kidney beans are an important source of food for these insects. α-Amylase is the main carbohydrate-digesting enzyme in animals including insects. In the current study, the biochemical analysis revealed higher α-amylase activity (U/ml) in 3rd and 4th larval instars but decreased gradually in subsequent developmental stages. However, the specific activity (U/mg) interestingly was highest in 1st instar and decreased in further developmental stages. During qualitative analysis of α-amylase using starch-agar and native PAGE, the maximum zone of starch lysis and a prominent band on the gel was observed in 3rd and 4th larval stages. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was also estimated and found to be 30.34 kDa. The crude α-amylase was further purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation, gel filtration on a Sephadex G-75, and ion exchange chromatography on the DEAE cellulose column. The purified amylase was found to be a monomer with a molecular mass of 15 kDa. The specific activity of the purified enzyme increased from 1.74 U/mg in the crude sample to 166.35 U/mg in the final purification step resulting in 95-fold purification with a yield of 11.14%. Further characterization of purified α-amylase revealed a pH optimum of 7.0 and a temperature optimum of 35 °C. Lineweaver-Burk plot analysis revealed Km and Vmax to be 0.09% and 3.3 U/mL, respectively. Oxalic acid, tannic acid, and HgCl2 significantly inhibited the enzyme, while the Na+, Ca++, and Mg++ ions acted as activators. In conclusion, the study revealed, the highest α-amylase activity in 3rd and 4th larval stages of Acanthoscelides obtectus followed by native and SDS PAGE resulting in molecular mass of 30.34 and 15 kDa respectively.

A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, single-center, comparative study evaluating Phaseolean® safety and efficacy in overweight/obese participants.

Scope: Phaseolean®, a standardized water extract of Phaseolus vulgaris or white kidney bean, exhibits α-amylase inhibitory property, which decreases calorie absorption by preventing or delaying carbohydrate digestion, thus supporting weight management. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, single-center comparative study (Clinical trial registration number: CTRI/2023/02/049440, Registered on: February 03, 2023) evaluated the safety and efficacy of Phaseolean® in weight management in overweight or obese participants upon regular intake at two different doses compared with placebo. Method: Sixty-six participants were enrolled and randomly divided into three groups, considering the inclusion & exclusion criteria. Each group was assigned a specific daily dosage for three meals: Phaseolean® 1500 mg/day (500 mg per meal), Phaseolean® 3000 mg/day (1000 mg per meal), or placebo 1500 mg/day (500 mg per meal), administered thrice a day before meals for 45 consecutive days. Body weight; body mass index (BMI); skinfold fat thickness; waist, hip, and thigh circumferences; and blood biochemical parameters were monitored and analyzed to evaluate the effects of these interventions. Results and conclusions: Of the 66 enrolled participants, 62 completed the study. Treatment with Phaseolean® 1500 mg/day reduced the weight by an average of 2.10 kg (0.33 kg/week), while that with 3000 mg/day was 1.94 kg (0.30 kg/week); 0.13 kg weight loss (0.02 kg/week) was observed in the placebo group after 45 days, showing significant differences between the Phaseolean® and placebo groups (p < 0.01). BMI, body fat, skinfold fat thickness, and the waist, hip, and thigh circumference were significantly reduced (p < 0.01) in both Phaseolean® groups compared with those in the placebo group, which showed no significant changes.No adverse effects were observed during the clinical trial period. Phaseolean® 1500 mg/day dose was more effective in weight reduction than the 3000 mg/day higher dose. Therefore, Phaseolean® can be used to support healthy weight management.

Kinetics characterization of a low immunogenic recombinant l-asparaginase from Phaseolus vulgaris with cytotoxic activity against leukemia cells.

l-asparaginases play a crucial role in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of cancer that mostly affects children and teenagers. However, it is common for these molecules to cause adverse reactions during treatment. These downsides ignite the search for novel asparaginases to mitigate these problems. Thus, this work aimed to produce and characterize a recombinant asparaginase from Phaseolus vulgaris (Asp-P). In this study, Asp-P was expressed in Escherichia coli with high yields and optimum activity at 40 °C, pH 9.0. The enzyme Km and Vmax values were 7.05 mM and 1027 U/mg, respectively. Asp-P is specific for l-asparagine, showing no activity against l-glutamine and other amino acids. The enzyme showed a higher cytotoxic effect against Raji than K562 cell lines, but only at high concentrations. In silico analysis indicated that Asp-P has lower immunogenicity than a commercial enzyme. Asp-P induced biofilm formation by Candida sp. due to sublethal dose, showing an underexplored potential of asparaginases. The absence of glutaminase activity, lower immunogenicity and optimal activity similar to physiological temperature conditions are characteristics that indicate Asp-P as a potential new commercial enzyme in the treatment of ALL and its underexplored application in the treatment of other diseases.

Exploration of Calocybe indica mushroom phenolic acid-kidney bean protein complex: Functional properties, amino acid profiles, in-vitro digestibility, and application in vegan product development.

The study evaluates the interaction between Calocybe indica mushroom polyphenols (phenolic acid) and kidney bean protein (KBPM), aiming to enhance vegan food quality. The mushrooms exhibited a carbohydrate content of 3.65%, an antioxidant activity of 55.04 ± 0.17%, and a phenolic content of 4.86 mg GAE/g. Caffeic and cinnamic acids were identified through high-pressure liquid chromatography. Various concentrations of KBPM were tested at phenolic acid concentrations of 0.025, 0.050, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1%, among these, KBPM 0.2 demonstrated the highest binding efficiency of 99.40 ± 0.05%. Notably, this complex improved the protein's functional properties, such as solubility by 11.43%, water and oil holding capacities by 10.62% and 22.04%, and emulsion capacity and stability by 3.69% and 5.83%, respectively, compared to the native protein. The protein-phenolic acid complex also enhanced thermal stability, surface charge, amino acid content, and reduced particle size compared to native protein. These enhancements also improved protein digestibility and sensory attributes in a fruit-based smoothie.

Probiotic-Enriched Ice Cream with Fermented White Kidney Bean Homogenate: Survival, Antioxidant Activity, and Potential for Future Health Benefits.

This study investigated a novel probiotic-enriched ice cream containing fermented white kidney bean homogenate to explore its potential health benefits in the future. We assessed the viability of various probiotic strains during ice cream production and storage, focusing on their potential to reach the gut, and evaluated overall antioxidant activity using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-Azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), and total polyphenol content (TPC) assays. The incorporation of fermented white bean homogenate significantly increased antioxidant capacity compared to the control group. Notably, strains such as Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG and Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v demonstrated the most pronounced effects on antioxidant activity, suggesting potential synergistic benefits between probiotics and bioactive compounds in fermented white beans. Although all probiotic strains experienced decreased viability during storage, certain strains, particularly L. plantarum 299v and Lacticaseibacillus casei DN-114001, showed promising survival rates even after 6 months. These results suggest the potential for developing probiotic ice cream containing viable bacteria capable of reaching the gut and contributing to a healthy gut microbiota. Overall, this study highlights the potential of probiotic-enriched ice cream with fermented white kidney bean homogenate to combine the established benefits of probiotics for gut health with the enjoyment of consuming ice cream.

Extractions, Contents, Antioxidant Activities and Compositions of Free and Bound Phenols from Kidney Bean Seeds Represented by 'Yikeshu' Cultivar in Cold Region.

To thoroughly understand the profile of phenolic phytochemicals in kidney bean seeds cultivated in a cold region, the extractions, contents, antioxidant activities, compositions of free and bound phenols in the seed coat and cotyledon, and also relevant color attributes, were investigated. The results indicated that ultrasound-assisted extraction was an efficient method for free phenols. The bound phenols in seed coat and cotyledon were released more efficiently by alkali-acid and acid-alkali sequential hydrolysis, respectively. Under the optimized extractions, total phenols (TPC), flavonoids (TFC), and anthocyanins (TAC) ranged in 7.81-32.89 mg GAE/g dw, 3.23-15.65 mg RE/g dw, and 0-0.21 mg CE/g dw in the whole seeds of the five common kidney beans. There was a big difference in phenolic distribution between red and white seeds. From whole seed, the phenols in the four red cultivars mainly existed in free state (78.84%) and seed coat (71.56%), while the phenols in the white 'Sark' divided equally between free (51.18%) and bound (48.82%) states and consisted chiefly in cotyledon (81.58%). The correlation analyses showed that the antioxidant activities were significantly and positively correlated with TPC and TFC. The phenolic attributes were closely associated with the color of the seed coat. Red seeds had higher total contents of phenols than white seeds. TAC had a positively significant correlation with redness. Brightness and yellowness showed a negatively significant correlation with TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacities, which were necessarily linked with redness degree and spot in red seeds. The spotted red 'Yikeshu' with the most outstanding performance on phenolic attributes was selected to analyze phenolic compounds with UHPLC-QE-MS. Among the 85 identified phenolics, 2 phenolic acids and 10 flavonoids were dominant. The characteristic phenolics in free and bound states were screened in both seed coat and cotyledon, respectively. The available information on the phenolic profile may expand the utilization of kidney beans as a nutritional ingredient in the food industry.

Kidney Bean Protein Prevents High-Fat and High-Fructose Diet-Induced Obesity, Cognitive Impairment, and Disruption of Gut Microbiota Composition.

A long-term intake of a high-fat and high-fructose diet (HFFD), even a high-fat, high-fructose but low-protein diet (HFFD + LP), could cause obesity associated with cognitive impairments. In the present study, rats were subjected to a normal diet (ND), an HFFD diet, an HFFD + LP diet, and an HFFD with kidney bean protein (KP) diet for 8 weeks to evaluate the effect of KP on HFFD- or HFFD + LP-induced obesity and cognitive impairment. The results demonstrated that compared with the HFFD diet, KP administration significantly decreased the body weight by 7.7% and the serum Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE-2) and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (IGF-1) levels by 14.4% and 46.8%, respectively (p < 0.05). In addition, KP suppressed HFFD-induced cognitive impairment, which was evidenced by 8.7% less time required to pass the water maze test. The 16s RNA analysis of the colonic contents showed that the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium, Butyricimonas, and Alloprevotella was increased by KP by 5.9, 44.2, and 79.2 times. Additionally, KP supplementation primarily affected the choline metabolic pathway in the liver, and the synthesis and functional pathway of neurotransmitters in the brain, thereby improving obesity and cognitive function in rats.

Deciphering the impact of cold-adapted bioinoculants on rhizosphere dynamics, biofortification, and yield of kidney bean across varied altitudinal zones.

Agriculture stands as a thriving enterprise in India, serving as both the bedrock of economy and vital source of nutrition. In response to the escalating demands for high-quality food for swiftly expanding population, agricultural endeavors are extending their reach into the elevated terrains of the Himalayas, tapping into abundant resources for bolstering food production. Nonetheless, these Himalayan agro-ecosystems encounter persistent challenges, leading to crop losses. These challenges stem from a combination of factors including prevailing frigid temperatures, suboptimal farming practices, unpredictable climatic shifts, subdivided land ownership, and limited resources. While the utilization of chemical fertilizers has been embraced to enhance the quality of food output, genuine concerns have arisen due to the potential hazards they pose. Consequently, the present investigation was initiated with the objective of formulating environmentally friendly and cold-tolerant broad ranged bioinoculants tailored to enhance the production of Kidney bean while concurrently enriching its nutrient content across entire hilly regions. The outcomes of this study unveiled noteworthy advancements in kidney bean yield, registering a substantial increase ranging from 12.51 ± 2.39 % to 14.15 ± 0.83 % in regions of lower elevation (Jeolikote) and an even more remarkable surge ranging from 20.60 ± 3.03 % to 29.97 ± 5.02 % in higher elevated areas (Chakrata) compared to the control group. Furthermore, these cold-tolerant bioinoculants exhibited a dual advantage by fostering the enhancement of essential nutrients within the grains and fostering a positive influence on the diversity and abundance of microbial life in the rhizosphere. As a result, to effectively tackle the issues associated with chemical fertilizers and to achieve sustainable improvements in both the yield and nutrient composition of kidney bean across varying elevations, the adoption of cold-tolerant Enterobacter hormaechei CHM16, and Pantoea agglomerans HRM 23, including the consortium, presents a promising avenue. Additionally, this study has contributed significant insights-into the role of organic acids like oxalic acid in the solubilization of nutrients, thereby expanding the existing knowledge in this specialized field.

Trichoderma harzianum prevents red kidney bean root rot by increasing plant antioxidant enzyme activity and regulating the rhizosphere microbial community.

Root rot is one of the main reasons for yield losses of red kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) production. Pre-inoculation with Trichoderma harzianum can effectively lower the incidence of red kidney bean root rot. In this study, four treatments including CK (control), Fu13 (Fusarium oxysporum), T891 (T. harzianum) and T891 + Fu13 (T. harzianum + F. oxysporum) were arranged in a pot experiment to investigate how T891 affected the incidence and severity of root rot, plant growth, and changes of defense enzyme activity in red kidney bean plants. Community composition and diversity of the rhizosphere microbiota was evaluated through high-throughput sequencing, and co-occurrence network was analyzed. The results showed that when compared to the Fu13 treatment, pre-inoculation with T891 reduced the incidence and severity of red kidney bean root rot by 40.62 and 68.03% (p < 0.05), increased the root length, shoot length, total dry biomass by 48.63, 97.72, 122.17%. Upregulated activity of super-oxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT) by 7.32, 38.48, 98.31% (p < 0.05), and reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) by 23.70% (p < 0.05), respectively. Microbiological analyses also showed that F. oxysporum reduced alpha diversity resulting in alteration the composition of the rhizosphere microbial community in red kidney bean. T891 significantly reduced abundance of F. oxysporum, allowing the enrichment of potentially beneficial bacteria Porphyrobacter (ASV 46), Lysobacter (ASV 85), Microbacteriaceae (ASV 105), and Gemmatimonas (ASV 107), resulting in a more stable structure of the microbial network. The results of random forest analysis further revealed that ASV 46 (Porphyrobacter) was the primary influencing factor for the incidence of root rot after inoculation with T891, while ASV 85 (Lysobacter) was the primary influencing factor for the biomass of red kidney bean. In conclusion, T. harzianum promotes the growth of red kidney bean and inhibits root rot by improving plant antioxidant enzyme activity and regulating the rhizosphere microbial community.

First Report of Green Mould on Leaf of Phaseolus vulgaris Caused by Cladosporium tenuissimum in Liaoning, China.

Phaseolus vulgaris Linn. is a widely cultivated vegetable throughout the world. From spring 2019 to 2022, green mould symptoms were observed on leaves of P. vulgaris in the greenhouse in Liaoning, China, with disease incidence of 8-75% (plants) and 6-23% (leaves). Symptoms appeared as chlorotic lesions covered with dark green mould. The infections started at the apex or margin of the leaves and then spread inward with a characteristic "V" shape. Lesions exhibited curly morphology. 15 leaf samples with typical symptoms were collected from 5 different greenhouses. A total of 75 (5 replicates of each sample) leaf tissues (0.5 cm × 0.5 cm) were selected from the boundary between diseased and healthy parts. These samples were surface sterilized in 0.5% NaClO formin, rinsed 3 times in sterile distilled water and subsequently incubated at 28℃ on potato dextrose agar (PDA) supplemented with streptomycin (50 µg/ml). Numerous morphologically uniform colonies had been purified, with no other fungi observed. Afterwards, the strains were subcultured on malt extract agar (MEA). Colonies on MEA reached 70 to 80 mm diam after 14 days, smoke-grey to pale olivaceous-grey, woolly, sometimes radially wrinkled. The mycelia were pale olivaceous-grey, with hyphae measuring 1-5 µm wide (n = 20). The conidiophores were solitary or in groups of 2 to 5, and measured 50-280(-350) × 2.5-4 µm (n = 20), with 2-7 septa. The conidiogenous cells exhibited a cylindrical-oblong morphology and measured 10-44 × 5 µm (n = 20), with 0-2 septa, and the loci frequently thickened. The conidia were catenate in densely branched chains, ellipsoid to obovoid, smooth, and measured 2.5-5 × 2-3 µm (n = 50), with 0-4 septa. The morphological characteristics were similar to Cladosporium tenuissimum (Zhang 2003). The representative isolate KZ-19 was selected for molecular identification. The rDNA-ITS, translation elongation factor 1-α and actin genes were amplified, sequenced, and the resulting sequence data were submitted to GenBank (ITS: OQ931048; EF-1α: OQ954495; ACT: OQ954496). The BLAST results exhibited a 99 to 100% similarity with the sequences of C. tenuissimum type strain CBS 125995(ITS: HM148197; EF-1α: HM148442; ACT: HM148687). Furthermore, a multi-locus phylogenetic tree was constructed using the PhyloSuite (v 1. 2. 2) software, which revealed that the strains were most closely related to C. tenuissimum (Zhang et al. 2020). Based on both morphological and molecular characteristics, KZ-19 was finally identified as C. tenuissimum (Bensch 2012). Pathogenicity testing was performed on healthy 1-month-old P. vulgaris plants by inoculating the spore suspension (1×106 conidia/ml) of KZ-19 onto leaf surfaces, while control plants were simulated inoculated with sterile water, and five pots were used for each treatment. The test was performed under field conditions of 16-28°C (temperature) and 24-56% (relative humidity). Chlorotic lesions became evident within 2 days of inoculation, followed by the appearance of green mold on leaves after 7 days. No symptoms were observed in the control group. To fulfill Koch's postulates, the pathogen was re-isolated from three inoculated leaves. The morphological identification of re-isolated pathogens was similar to that of originally isolated pathogens. No infection was observed in non-inoculated control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of C. tenuissimum causing green mould on P. vulgaris. As a ubiquitous saprobic hyphomycete, C. tenuissimum has been implicated in leaf mold in Punica granatum and Trifolium repens, larch bud blight, and strawberry blossom blight in previous years (He et al. 1987; Zhang et al. 2003; Zheng et al. 2010; Nam et al. 2015), presenting a potential threat to numerous crops. Therefore, an investigation of its distribution and pathogenic potential is essential in addition to the development of effective disease management strategies.

Valorization of kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pod powder: Multifactorial optimization of gluten-free cake.

The lifelong gluten-free diet of celiac patients and gluten-intolerant people prevents their balanced diet mainly due to starch-rich products. The aim of this study is to determine optimum gluten-free cake formulation having kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) pod powder as fat replacer of up to 50% and rice flour replacer of up to 30% using multifactorial optimization approach. Central composite design was used to determine optimum formulation. The use of kidney beans in gluten-free cake increased moisture, hardness, chewiness, L*, a*, b*, antioxidant activity, total phenolic content, and sensory evaluation scores (p < .05). The optimum gluten-free cake is rich in protein (5.89%), phenolic compounds (0.51 mg GAE/g), antioxidant activity (1.93 µmol TE/g), and total dietary fiber (4.43%) with improved sensory properties. The optimum gluten-free cake formulation prepared with kidney bean pod powder of 27.88% fat and 13.52% rice flour replacer provides higher specific volume, springiness, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, and sensory analysis scores, and lower hardness and chewiness conditions. Gluten-free cake containing kidney bean pod powder as fat and rice flour replacer at optimum ratio is a new healthier alternative with reduced fat content and improved nutritional and sensory properties for celiac patients and gluten-intolerant people.

Anti-Obesity Effect of Combining White Kidney Bean Extract, Propolis Ethanolic Extract and CrPi3 on Sprague-Dawley Rats Fed a High-Fat Diet.

Obesity has been associated with the occurrence and prevalence of various chronic metabolic diseases. The management of obesity has evolved to focus not only on reducing weight, but also on preventing obesity-related complications. Studies have shown that bioactive components in natural products like white kidney bean extract (WKBE), propolis ethanolic extract (PEE), and chromium picolinate (CrPi3) showed anti-obesity properties. However, no studies have examined the outcomes of combining any of these nutraceutical supplements. We compared the effects of HFD supplemented with WKBE, WKBE+PEE, or WKBE+PEE+CrPi3 against control and obese groups using Sprague-Dawley rats fed a 45% high-fat diet as an in vivo model. Nutritional parameters, biochemical parameters, and biomarkers of cardiovascular disease, liver function, kidney function, and gut health were among the comparable effects. Our findings showed that combining the three nutraceutical supplements had a synergetic effect on reducing weight gain, food utilization rate, abdominal fat, serum lipids, arterial and hepatic lipids, risk of cardiovascular disease, and blood glucose level, in addition to improving renal function and gut microbiota. We attributed these effects to the α-amylase inhibitor action of WKBE, flavonoids, and polyphenol content of PEE, which were potentiated with CrPi3 resulting in a further reduction or normalization of certain parameters.

A stable delivery system for curcumin: Fabrication and characterization of self-assembling acylated kidney bean protein isolate nanogels.

The construction of protein-based nano-gels as curcumin delivery system effectively enhances the stability and bioavailability of curcumin. In this study, acylation modification and self-assembly techniques were jointly employed to construct acylated kidney bean protein isolate (AKBPI)-nanogels. Optimal conditions for AKBPI-nanogels were determined to be pH 7, concentration of 2 mg/mL, and temperature at 90℃ for 30 min. The optimized AKBPI-nanogels exhibited excellent uniformity as evidenced by decreasing average particle size (137.35 nm) and polydispersity index (0.38). Acylation enhanced the intermolecular interactions within the nanogel by reducing the polarity of tyrosine microenvironment and free sulfhydryl groups. AKBPI-nanogels demonstrated remarkable characteristics in terms of pH sensitivity, salt concentration, and storage tolerance. The curcumin-loaded AKBPI-nanogels exhibited an encapsulation efficiency of 92.30 % and maintained high antioxidant activity. In simulated gastrointestinal digestion, AKBPI-nanogels facilitated the controlled release and higher bioavailability of curcumin. Therefore, AKBPI-nanogels can be a stable tool for delivering curcumin.

Comparison of pH-induced protein-polyphenol self-assembly methods: Binding mechanism, structure, and functional characteristics.

Herein, we used pH-shifted and pH-driven methods to assemble kidney-bean protein isolate (KPI) and luteolin (Lut) into a nanocomplex and subsequently investigated their binding mechanism, structure, and functional properties. Results showed that the nanocomplex prepared by the pH-driven method exhibited a better encapsulation effect and controlled release of Lut. Fluorescence spectroscopy and molecular docking analysis showed that the binding affinities under alkaline conditions were higher than those under acidic and neutral conditions. Various spectral techniques were used to determine the structural changes in the KPI-Lut nanocomplex, including the transformation of α-helices and ß-sheets and alteration of specific amino acid microenvironments, which were more pronounced in the pH-driven nanocomplex. The structural changes in the nanocomplex further affected their surface hydrophobicity and thermal stability. Additionally, the combination of KPI and Lut significantly improved the antioxidant activity and α-glucosidase inhibitory ability of the resultant nanocomplexes, particularly the one prepared by the pH-driven method.

Improvement of the YOLOv5 Model in the Optimization of the Brown Spot Disease Recognition Algorithm of Kidney Bean.

The kidney bean is an important cash crop whose growth and yield are severely affected by brown spot disease. Traditional target detection models cannot effectively screen out key features, resulting in model overfitting and weak generalization ability. In this study, a Bi-Directional Feature Pyramid Network (BiFPN) and Squeeze and Excitation (SE) module were added to a YOLOv5 model to improve the multi-scale feature fusion and key feature extraction abilities of the improved model. The results show that the BiFPN and SE modules show higher heat in the target location region and pay less attention to irrelevant environmental information in the non-target region. The detection Precision, Recall, and mean average Precision (mAP@0.5) of the improved YOLOv5 model are 94.7%, 88.2%, and 92.5%, respectively, which are 4.9% higher in Precision, 0.5% higher in Recall, and 25.6% higher in the mean average Precision compared to the original YOLOv5 model. Compared with the YOLOv5-SE, YOLOv5-BiFPN, FasterR-CNN, and EfficientDet models, detection Precision improved by 1.8%, 3.0%, 9.4%, and 9.5%, respectively. Moreover, the rate of missed and wrong detection in the improved YOLOv5 model is only 8.16%. Therefore, the YOLOv5-SE-BiFPN model can more effectively detect the brown spot area of kidney beans.

The Non-Nutritional Factor Types, Mechanisms of Action and Passivation Methods in Food Processing of Kidney Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): A Systematic Review.

Kidney beans (KBs), as a traditional edible legume, are an important food crop of high nutritional and economic value worldwide. KBs contain a full range of amino acids and a high proportion of essential amino acids, and are rich in carbohydrates as well as vitamins and minerals. However, KBs contain a variety of non-nutritional factors that impede the digestion and absorption of nutrients, disrupt normal metabolism and produce allergic reactions, which severely limit the exploitation of KBs and related products. Suppressing or removing the activity of non-nutritional factors through different processing methods can effectively improve the application value of KBs and expand the market prospect of their products. The aim of this review was to systematically summarize the main types of non-nutritional factors in KBs and their mechanisms of action, and to elucidate the effects of different food processing techniques on non-nutritional factors. The databases utilized for the research included Web of Science, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Scopus. We considered all original indexed studies written in English and published between 2012 and 2023. We also look forward to the future research direction of producing KB products with low non-nutritional factors, which will provide theoretical basis and foundation for the development of safer and healthier KB products.

Impact of red kidney bean protein on starch digestion and exploring its underlying mechanism.

This study aimed to investigate the effect of different proportions of red kidney bean protein (RKP) on the digestibility of co-gelatinized wheat starch (WS) and corn starch (CS), as well as explore the potential underlying mechanisms. The results showed a significant reduction in both the rate and extent of digestion for WS and CS after adding the RKP during co-gelatinization. Furthermore, incorporating RKP at 0 % to 20 % levels increased the content of resistant starch (RS) by 34.89 % and 14.43 % in the digested systems of wheat starch and maize starch, respectively, while decreasing the concentration of rapidly digestible starch (RDS) by 12.24 % and 20.39 %, respectively. Furthermore, RKP was found to inhibit α-amylase in a dose-dependent and non-competitive manner. Its interaction with starch occurred through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, resulting in a modification of the short-range ordered structure of starch and ultimately leading to inhibition of starch digestion. The physical barrier effect of RKP on starch digestion also contributed to its inhibitory action. Considering the health-related delay in the rate and extent of postprandial starch digestion, Our findings have important inspirational value for the use of red kidney bean protein in hypoglycemic foods.