Dietary fibres in pulse seeds and fractions: Characterization, functional attributes, and applications

Pulses are a good source of dietary fibre and other important nutrients. Flours and fibre-rich fractions obtained from pulse crops can be incorporated into processed foods to increase dietary fibre content and/or serve as functional ingredients. This review focuses on research conducted in the past ten years on the non-starch polysaccharides and oligosaccharides found in dry beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), chickpeas (Cicer arietinum), lentils (Lens culinaris), and dry peas (Pisum sativum). The isolation, composition, and structure of these pulse fibres are described. Common terms used to describe the physicochemical properties of fibre fractions are defined and briefly discussed. Recent studies on the effects of processing on the ratio of insoluble to soluble dietary fibre and on the alpha-galacto-oligosaccharide content of pulses and fibre fractions are cited and summarized. Food applications for pulse fibre fractions and flours in fibre enrichment, nutrient enrichment, fat binding and retention, and texture modification, as well as some non-food applications, are reviewed. Crown Copyright (C) 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.