Beans are a staple food in many Latin American and African countries, as
well as an important foodstuff in vegetarian diets. This chapter provides an update on
the most recent scientific literature pertaining to the phenolics of different types of
edible beans, their free radical-scavenging and antioxidant capacities, and how
processing and germination affect the endogenous phenolics of beans. Indicated as well
are the findings reported from a myriad of in vitro antioxidant assays one can perform
to characterize the antioxidant potential of an extract prepared from the different bean
types. It is noteworthy that variability in antioxidant determinations of the phenolics
from bean crude extracts can exist, as the results are greatly impacted by the extraction
methodologies employed and the details of the colorimetric or HPLC assays
performed.
Keywords: Antioxidant Activity, Beans, Flavonoids, Germination, Legumes,
Phaseolus Vulgaris, Phenolic Compounds, Phenolic Acids, Tannins,
Technological Process.
