Leguminous seeds

The combined usage of peas and beans by British compounders decreased from 174 500 tonnes in 1999 to 118 500 tonnes in 2005 and 68 500 tonnes in 2008, with beans forming about 60 per cent of the total. 

Vida faba (broad bean) may cause the condition in man known as favism.This is characterised by haemolytic anaemia, and affected individuals have nausea, shortness of breath, abdominal pain, fevers and sometimes renal failure. The disease occurs in individuals with a genetic deficiency of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in their erythrocytes. It has been suggested that the causative agents are divicine and isouramil, pyrimidine derivatives present in the seed. 

Phaseolus lunatus beans (lima bean, Java bean) contain the cyanogenetic gluco-side phaseolunatin, which is extremely toxic when hydrolysed. The glucoside is present, but only in small quantities, in cultivated varieties of P. lunatus such as the butter bean. A number of species, including Cicer ensiformis, Dolichus biflorus, D. lablab, P lunatus, P. vulgaris and P. communis, are known to contain lectins, which are toxic 

Beans are regarded primarily as sources of protein of relatively good quality. This is a reflection of the amino acid composition characterised by a high lysine content similar to that of fishmeal protein levels of cystine and methionine are lower than in common animal and vegetable proteins. 

Beans are used in the diets of all the major classes of farm animal. Levels in the diets of calves up to 3 months of age are usually of the order of 150 kg/t but can be increased considerably thereafter. Mixtures containing 400 kg/t have been used quite satisfactorily for intensively fed steers. The beans are usually cracked, kibbled or coarsely ground for feeding, but it would appear that whole beans are quite satisfactory for older ruminants, which rapidly adapt to chewing them. Dairy cow concentrates may contain 150-200 kg/t of beans, and recent work has shown that levels of up to 350 kg/t may be used with no loss of milk yield. 

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ROUANET J M, BESANCON p, LAFONT J (1983) Effect of lectius from leguminous seeds on rat duodenal enterokinase activity. Experientia. 39 1356-8. 

Humans lack enzymes to hydrolyse cellulose, and some odier carbohydrates in food. However, bacteria in the intestine can hydrolyse and ferment some of this carbohydrate to produce short-chain fatty acids, which are used by the colon and the liver. It is estimated that for each gram of unavailable carbohydrate in the diet, 8.4 kJ of energy is made available in this way, although this is influenced by factors such as ripeness of fruit or the way leguminous seeds are cooked. Nonetheless, these effects will be small and can be ignored unless the amount of such carbohydrate is high or very accurate results are required. (The subject of unavailable carbohydrate and fibre in the diet is discussed in Chapters 4, 6 and 15). 

Reduced nitrogen retention was reported when chicks were fed rye diets (18). Supplementation of those diets with amino acids increased the retention of only the supplemented amino acids and not those contributed by the rye. These observations are compatible with the trypsin inhibitor hypothesis of other researchers (9,10). On the other hand, examination of the differences between endosperm and embryo and trypsin inhibitors of barley, wheat, and rye has revealed that, in contrast to certain trypsin inhibitors from leguminous seeds, those from the cereal grains appeared to be relatively weak, nonstoichiometric inhibitors of trypsin (19). 

Uses herbicides/insecticides pre- or post-emergence control of broadleaf weeds in cereals, maize, lucerne, clover, trefoil, grass leys, potatoes, peas, onions, garlics, peas, leeks, soya beans, orchards, groundnuts, strawberries, vineyards and other crops for control of strawberry runners and raspberry suckers and overwintering forms of insect pests on fruit trees also used as a desiccant for leguminous seed crops destruction of potato haulms as a pre-harvest hop defoliant, etc. 

Makela, O. (1957) Studies on Hemagglutinins of Leguminous Seeds. Walin Goos, Helsinki. 

DNOC is used as its ammonium- or sodium salt, which are water-soluble. The salts are contact herbicides for the control of broad-leaved weeds in cereals, onion and garlic at rates of 3-5 kg active ingredient/ha. In emulsifiable concentrate formulation DNOC can be used for the preharvest desiccation of potatoes and leguminous seed crops (Worthing, 1979). 

Generally, grain and seeds store only low concentrations of potassium (Table 1-3.2). The seeds of leguminous plants accumulate more potassium than those of cereals and rape. The differences in potassium content between cereal grains (barley, wheat, rye, oat, triticale) and leguminous seeds are significant. 

Table I. Estimated Endosperm Content of Some Leguminous Seeds ...

Stachyose is the principal transport carbohydrate in the phloem of some herbaceons and woody plants [19,20], Raffinose and stachyose are fonnd in leguminous seeds such as soybean (Glycine max) and lupine (Lupinus spp.) where they prevent desiccation of seeds after maturity [21] and serve as carbon reserves for use during germination [22],... 

Citric and malic acids are also the predominant acids in vegetables and their relative abundance varies with the vegetable. For example, in potato, sweet potato, leguminous seeds, many leafy vegetables, tomato, and beetroot, citric acid is the main acid. However, malic acid dominates in cucurbits, lettuce, artichoke, broccoli, cauliflower, okra, onion, celery, carrot, parsnip, turnip, and green beans [12] (Tables 10.3 and 10.4). 

Dietary fiber is only one of several possible pharmacologically active substances found in foods, and present in high concentrations in leguminous seeds which may be responsible for the different rates of digestion and blood glucose responses of different meals. Enzyme inhibitors, lectins and saponins are other so called antinutritional factors, also associated with dietary fiber which are able to alter small intestinal function (48). The gastrointestinal tract evolved to deal with these constituents in foods so that while toxic in large amounts (as in uncooked beans) small amounts may have beneficial effects. 

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