Food Chemistry

762 16 Legumes

Table 16.24.Fatty acid composition of legume lipids
(weight-%)a

Fatty acid Garden Chick Broad Lentils
beans peas beans

14:0 0. 22 1. 30. 60. 85
16:0 21. 88. 99. 323. 2
18:0 4. 71. 64. 94. 6
20:0 0. 53 0. 03 0. 72. 3
22:0 2 .90 0. 42 2. 7
24:0 1 .10 0 0. 85
16:1 (9) 0. 21 0. 05 0 0. 15
18:1 (9) 11. 635. 433. 836. 0
18:2 (9,12) 29. 851. 142. 120. 6
18:3 (9,12,15) 27. 41. 76. 41. 6
20:1 0. 02 0 0. 71. 9
aIn Table 14.11 the fatty acid compositions are pro-

vided for soya oil and peanut butter.

as a source of fats or oils. Examples of their fatty
acid composition are listed in Table 16.24.

16.2.8 Vitamins and Minerals

Vitamin and mineral content of some legumes
is presented in Table 16.25. In addition to B-vita-
mins, the two oilseeds are rich in tocopherols.

Table 16.25.Vitamin and mineral composition of legumesa

Soybeans Peas Garden Peanuts

beans

Vitamins
Tocopherols 127 12 202
B 1 8. 21. 24. 59. 0
B 2 4. 30. 64 1. 61. 5
Nicotinamide 20. 89. 520. 8 153
Pantothenic acid 15. 92. 99. 726
B 6 9. 90. 64 2. 83. 0

Minerals
Na 33 8 .020 52
K1. 4 × 104 1. 2 × 103 1. 3 × 104 7. 1 × 103
Mg 2. 1 × 103 132 1. 3 × 103 1. 6 × 103
Ca 2. 1 × 103 96 1. 1 × 103 590
Fe 71 7. 460. 421. 1
Zn 42 10 .626 30. 7
P4. 9 × 103 432 4. 3 × 103 3. 7 × 103
Cl 58 160 248 70
aResults are given in mg/kg.

16.2.9 Phytoestrogens

The isoflavones daidzein (Ia in Formula 16.4),

genistein (Ib) and glycitein (Ic) as well as coume-

strol (II) together with the lignans (cf. 18.1.2.5.7)

are called phytoestrogens because they can

dock onto estrogen receptors. Accordingly, they

are competitors of endogenous estrogen, but

have lower activity. Sources of isoflavones are

soybeans and soybean products (Table 16.26).

In addition, they occur in traces in many plant

foods.

(16.4)