Exploring faba beans (Vicia faba L.): bioactive compounds, cardiovascular health, and processing insights

Abstract

Faba beans (Vicia faba L.), integral to the legume family, are a significant component of the global pulse market because of their nutritional richness and positive health implications. While existing reviews have extensively covered the nutritional composition and anti-nutritional factors of faba beans, and their utilization in food product development, the insights into the optimization of processing methods and upcycling the wastewater during faba bean processing remain insufficient. Therefore, this review focuses on consolidating information about their bioactive compounds, elucidating associated health benefits and unveiling the possible application of processing water derived from faba beans. Key issues discussed include the impact of bioactive compounds in faba beans on cardiovascular health and carcinogenic condition, the challenges in processing that affect bioactive content, and the potential nutritional and functional applications of processing water in food production.

Keywords: Faba bean (Vicia faba L;), phytochemicals; cardiovascular disease; emulsifiers; processing water; proteins.