Vicia faba L. (fava bean) (Fabaceae) is cultivated worldwide as a crop for human consumption [1]. In this study, beans and pods were investigated for their phytochemical content and their potential nutraceutical properties as strategy to counteract metabolic syndrome (MetS), a group of risk factors, including insulin resistance and consequently impaired glucose tolerance, dyslipidaemia and obesity [2]. Pods represent a fava bean industrial processing by-products. The potential reuse of by-products can contribute to innovation and growth in the functional foods and nutraceutical industry due to their high bioactive phytochemicals content [3]. Pod ethanol extract showed the highest total phenol and flavonoid content. HPLC analysis revealed that in both pods and bean (+)-catechin and (−)-epicatechin were the two most abundant compounds. A multi-target approach based on the application of ABTS, DPPH, β-carotene bleaching, and FRAP assays was used to test V. faba antioxidant activity. The anti-obesity effect was investigated through inhibition of alpha-amylase, alpha-glucosidase, and lipase [4]. Pod extract showed an ABTS radical scavenging ability (IC50 value of 1.5 mg/mL) comparable to ascorbic acid (IC50 value of 1.7 mg/mL) used as the positive control, whereas bean extract was the most active in protecting lipid peroxidation (IC50 values of 17.6 mg/mL after 30 min of incubation). The edible portion of fava beans exerted also a promising alpha-glucosidase inhibitory activity with an IC50 value of 38.31 mg/mL. Collectively, our results demonstrated the potential health properties of V. faba edible and inedible portions. However, further in vivo studies will be needed to confirm the potential in humans and prove the safety of the products.
[1] Helstosky, Carol (2009). Food Culture in the Mediterranean. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 7. ISBN 0313346267. [2] Rochlani, Y.; Pothineni, N.V.; Kovelamudi, S.; Mehta, J.L. Metabolic syndrome: Pathophysiology, management, and modulation by natural compounds. Ther. Adv. Cardiovasc. Dis. 2017, 11, 215–225. [3] Helkar, P.B.; Sahoo, A.K.; Patil, N.J. Food industry by-products used as a functional food ingredient. Int. J. Waste Resour. 2016, 6, 248–254. [4]Leporini, M.; Loizzo, M.R.; Sicari, V.; Pellicanò, T.M.; Reitano, A.; Dugay, A.; Deguin, B.; Tundis, R. Citrus × Clementina Hort. Juice Enriched with Its By-Products (Peels and Leaves): Chemical composition, in vitro bioactivity, and impact of processing. Antioxidants 2020, 9, 298.
