Associating Compositional, Nutritional and Techno-Functional Characteristics of Faba Bean ( Vicia faba L.) Protein Isolates and Their Production Side-Streams with Potential Food Applications

• Published in: Foods 2023-02, Vol.12 (5), p.919
• Main Authors: Krause, Magdalena, Sørensen, Jens Christian, Petersen, Iben Lykke, Duque-Estrada, Patrícia, Cappello, Claudia, Tlais, Ali Zein Alabiden, Di Cagno, Raffaella, Ispiryan, Lilit, Sahin, Aylin W, Arendt, Elke K, Zannini, Emanuele
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Beans; Broad beans; Carbohydrate composition; Carbohydrates; Chromatography; Dietary fiber; Digestibility; Emissions; Enzymes; Faba bean; Foaming; food application; Food production; Food science; Greenhouse gases; Low molecular weights; Molecular weight; Nutrient content; Nutritional aspects; Physiological aspects; plant protein; Plant-based foods; Precipitation; Product development; Protein composition; Protein sources; Proteins; resistant starch; side-stream valorisation; Starch; Streams; sustainability; Sustainable development; Sustainable food systems; Sustainable production; Vicia faba
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods12050919

Faba beans ( L.) show exciting prospects as a sustainable source of protein and fibre, with the potential to transition to a more sustainable food production. This study reveals the compositional, nutritional and techno-functional characteristics of two protein isolates from faba beans ( L.), a high-starch fraction and a high-fibre side-stream. During the analysis of those four ingredients, particular attention was paid to the isolates' protein profile and the side-streams' carbohydrate composition. The isoelectric precipitated protein isolate 1 showed a protein content of 72.64 ± 0.31% DM. It exhibited low solubility but superior digestibility and high foam stability. High foaming capacity and low protein digestibility were observed for protein isolate 2, with a protein content of 71.37 ± 0.93% DM. This fraction was highly soluble and consisted primarily of low molecular weight proteins. The high-starch fraction contained 83.87 ± 3.07% DM starch, of which about 66% was resistant starch. Over 65% of the high-fibre fraction was insoluble dietary fibre. The findings of this study provide a detailed understanding of different production fractions of faba beans, which is of great value for future product development.