Food Chemistry Commons^™

Compositional Analysis Of Carbohydrates Of A Family Of Legumes, Arvind Raghothama, Bruce Hamaker

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Legumes, most commonly identified as beans or lentils, provide a good source of both protein and carbohydrates. Many legumes contain the polysaccharide arabinogalactans, classified as dietary fiber and have unique functional properties in foods. However, these, and other plant polysaccharides have not been well characterized. A preliminary collaborative study between Florida State University and the Whistler Center at Purdue indicated that isolated legume arabinogalactans appear to have high texturizing capability through formation of viscoelastic structures. Their soluble property may also present unique fiber nutritional trait. These properties of arabinogalactans and their variability among different legumes are yet to be analyzed. …