Introduction
Starch is an important element of our healthy diet. It is a helpful and adaptable component in various culinary and non-food applications. The primary starch sources are wheat, maize, potatoes and cassava. These sources of starches are the most researched and widely utilized starches in academia and industry. Research on underutilized, unconventional and novel starches from a wide range of crops has been more prevalent recently (Zhu, 2020). One such starch can be obtained from Mung bean. The most common carbohydrate in legume seeds is starch (22–45%). Legumes starches are used extensively in the manufacturing of noodles in several countries. Mung beans have been suggested to be an ideal basic material for producing starch noodles. An optimal starch for making of noodles is characterized by a high amylose concentration, specific amylopectin unit chain composition, limited swelling, and a C-type Brabender viscosity curve.
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Mung beans, also known as green Grams (Vigna radiata L.) have been farmed since ancient days in India and are considered a native crop of India. It is among the most significant edible legume crops, cultivated on over 6 million ha globally (or around 8.5% of all pulse acreage) and is eaten by the majority of Asian families. It is mostly grown in various Asian countries (primarily in India, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh and few Southeast Asian nations), warmer parts of the United States and Canada and dry areas of southern Europe because of its traits of being a lower-input crop, resilient to drought and having a short growing cycle (roughly 70 days). (Dahiya et al., 2015)
Mung bean Starch
Starch is the primary nutritional component of mung beans, which makes up 31% of the entire grain. Mung bean starch is believed to be a suitable source for producing noodles due to its high amylose concentration, excellent gel stability and limited swelling. The kidney-shaped granules of mung bean starch range in size from around 6 to 40 μm and are of the C-type polymorph. This smooth, small granule of mung bean starch are either spherical or elliptical. Mung bean starch had a comparatively high (~31–34%) amylose concentration. The amylose of Mungbean is classified as a low-medium glycemic index food, which causes a slower rate of digestion. Amylopectin from mung beans has a molecular structure indicating it has more short unit chains than B-type starches and more long unit chains than A-type starches. Mung beans are an excellent source of starch for starch noodles because of their comparatively high amylose levels and unique amylopectin unit chain structure (Zhu, 2020). Mung bean starch can also be used as an ingredient in various starch-noodle products, like clear noodles (Wu et al., 2015). This starch is ideal to make vermicelli noodle, bean jelly, mung bean curd, pancakes, sweets, sauces, frying batter, etc. Additionally, soups and stews can use it as a thickening ingredient. Commercially, it is available and sold as Mung bean starch which can be incorporated in many food applications. The brand that produces Mung bean starch includes Jayone, RELSUSTM, Kalustyan, Pine Brand, Season, etc. Asia Food & Starch Co., Ltd. founded in 2004 in Chon Buri, Thailand is a prominent manufacturer and exporter of starch and derivatives.
Nutritional profile of Mung bean
Mung bean has a good mix of nutrients, such as fiber, protein, minerals, vitamins and large amounts of bioactive substances. Mung beans can be a rich source of protein for vegetarians or those who are unable to afford animal proteins because they are relatively cheap. In addition, mung bean protein digests more quickly than the protein in other legumes. Niacin, thiamine, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid and riboflavin are the vitamins present in mung beans. Mung bean grains include the following minerals: calcium, magnesium, manganese, sodium, zinc, copper, iron, potassium (Dahiya et al., 2015). Children can tolerate the mung bean well and it causes less flatulence. However, the biological usefulness of the mung bean’s nutrients may be limited by the presence of anti-nutritional agents. Phytate, for instance, can bind to some significant divalent cations, including calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc. This binding can result in insoluble complexes that restrict the small intestine’s ability to absorb and use minerals. These anti-nutritional components could be decreased or removed by employing several processing techniques, including fermentation, germination, dehulling and cooking. (Barakoti & Bains, 2007)
Health benefits of Mung bean
Mung beans are widely consumed as part of diets globally and are essential to human nutrition since it is an excellent protein source (20.97–32.6%) and active substances. Mung beans are an excellent substitute for functional food because of their substantial nutrient content, which includes dietary fibre, iron, minerals and substantial quantities of bioactive phytochemicals. Moreover, the mung bean’s polyphenols, polysaccharides and polypeptides all have antioxidant properties that may help prevent disease (Xie et al., 2019). The unique qualities of mung bean starch are its low glycemic index. So far, mung beans and their extracts have demonstrated remarkable health benefits, including effects on blood sugar and cholesterol levels as well as anticancer, immunomodulatory, anti-melanogenesis, antihypertensive and hepatoprotective properties. Mung bean is also a well-known functional food that has detoxifying properties. Insulin plasma responses and low glucose were shown to be caused by the higher amylose content in mung bean starch. Based on this, mung beans are becoming a more appealing choice for those with diabetes (Hou et al., 2019).
Starch noodles from Mungbean starch
Starch noodles are a kind of traditional dish that is prevalent among Chinese people. They have an advantage over noodles developed using wheat flour since they are free from gluten and suitable for individual with celiac disease who are intolerant of gluten. The quality of these noodles is mostly determined by their starch characteristics. Superior starch noodles have transparent, clear threads, minimal cooking loss and a high tensile strength. Other crucial aspects of cooked noodles for consumer approval are their textural qualities. Noodles made with mung bean starch had a smooth texture, white, elastic and good cooking quality (Kaur et al., 2015). The characteristics of starch-based mung bean products are linked to high gel stability, swelling power, amount and molecular composition of amylose. In cooked mung bean starch noodles, retrograded amylose micelles create a structural network that withstands breakdown while cooking. The aforementioned reports indicate that degree of retrogradation has an influence on the quality of mung bean starch noodles. (Hoover et al., 1997)
Conclusion:
The use of mung beans to create novel food products can help lower the risk of diabetes because of their low glycemic levels. The starch from mung beans may also be used to make other items like cakes, biscuits and cookies with demands for low-viscosity ingredients. This may be useful in selecting suitable applications to encourage the use of starch isolated from mung beans in the food industry. The usage of nutraceuticals and functional products derived from mung beans may be considered an alternative food source due to its nutritional and health-related advantages. It can be concluded that underutilized starch like Mung bean starch can be complementary to commercial starches for different uses. Future research should compare common starches with underutilized starches to see if the former has any technological advantages over the latter.
References:
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