Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity, Functional, Pasting, and Thermal Properties of Selected Bean Flours

This study investigated five commonly consumed flours—butter beans (BT) (Phaseolus lunatus), black beans (BB) (Phaseolus vulgaris), mung beans (MB) (Vigna radiata), haricot beans (HB) (P. vulgaris), and red kidney beans (RB) (P. vulgaris) for their physical properties, chemical composition, antioxidant activity, functional, pasting, and thermal properties. Color analysis revealed the highest lightness (L*) values in HB (90.12) and BT (89.90) with redness (a*) values highest in RB (2.46) and yellowness (b*) values higher in MB (13.64) and BT (12.99). The protein content ranged from 17.75% to 24.35%, with the highest value found in MB. The fat content of the flours ranged from 0.5% to 1.10%, with MB having a significantly higher content. For the functional properties, RB exhibited the highest water absorption capacity (2.99 g/g), while HB had the highest oil absorption capacity (2.13 g/g); meanwhile, the bulk density ranged from 0.81 to 0.91 g/cm³. MB recorded the highest total flavonoid and phenolic contents at 4.79-mg QE/g and 2.17-mg GAE/g, respectively. RB demonstrated the highest ABTS antioxidant activity (3.29-mg TE/g), followed by BB (2.83-mg TE/g). All flours had the same pasting temperature (95.10°C). Thermal properties varied, with HB showing the highest peak and end temperatures, while MB showed the highest gelatinization enthalpy. Scanning electron microscopy revealed structural differences among the flours, with MB exhibiting more compactness. These findings support the potential application and acceptability of these selected legumes as functional ingredients and promote their utilization for human consumption.