Legumes: The Natural Products for Industrial and Medicinal Importance-A Review

Abstract

Legumes play a very important role in human diet in all over the world because of low cost and fat as well as richer sources of proteins and nutrient variety. The bioactive constituents of legumes like Alkaloids, Phytic acid, Genistein and Daidzein, Polyphenols, Phytoestrogens, Phenolic compounds, Phytic acid (myo-inositol hexaphosphate), Saponins, Lupin quinolizidine alkaloids, Isoflavones and lignans, Isoflavones; Formononetin, Biochanin, Flavanoids, Saponines, Lecitins A etc. were isolated and purified by scientists. These phytochemicals acts as an antioxidant, anti-diabetes, anticancerous, anti-inflammatory. The purpose of this review with scientific evidence is to encourage the people to consume legumes as natural medicine for treatment of nearly all health related diseases like coronary heart disease, cancer, tyrosinase and glucosidase inhibition activities, obesity, aging, heart related diseases, high blood pressure etc. It was also reviewed that various processing method like germination, sprouting, oil frying, steaming etc. increased the activity of various phytoconstituents. This review provides an attention to the lavish medicinal values of legumes that are being used in past decades as a better alternative to medicine without any side effects for curing of many diseases.