article · Recent Advances in Natural Sciences
This research evaluates the mineral composition, nutritional contributions, and safety margins of five underutilised legume varieties across three processing stages: defatted flour, protein concentrate, and protein isolate. Processing into protein isolate concentrated essential macro- and micro-minerals, including potassium, calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and copper, whilst manganese levels dropped due to losses during aqueous fractionation. A standard 100 gram portion of the protein isolate provided substantial shares of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for calcium and phosphorus, as well as over half of the adult adequate intake for potassium. Mineral safety index assessments showed that defatted flour and protein concentrates possess wide safety margins. However, the accumulation of trace elements, particularly copper, in protein isolates narrows their safety margin, suggesting that inclusion levels in formulated products must be managed carefully.
Underutilised legumes offer a plant-based source of valuable dietary minerals alongside protein. Understanding how processing alters mineral content helps ensure that food ingredients deliver beneficial nutrients without exceeding safe upper limits. This guidance is especially relevant for manufacturers designing balanced diets and safeguarding sensitive groups such as children from mineral overconsumption.
The findings are relevant to food product developers and ingredient manufacturers formulating nutrient-dense plant-based foods. The research is at an early experimental stage, demonstrating that while these legume fractions can serve as functional nutritional ingredients, protein isolates require precise portion control in product recipes, particularly for paediatric applications where copper accumulation presents safety considerations.
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This study evaluated mineral concentrations, Recommended Dietary Allowance contributions, and the Mineral Safety Index (MSI) of five underutilized legume varieties at three processing stages: defatted flour (DF), protein concentrate (PC), and protein isolate (PI). Potassium was the predominant macro-mineral and increased from 654.02--804.61 mg/100 g in DF to 1216.55--1352.50 mg/100 g in PI. Calcium, phosphorus, iron, zinc, and copper also increased during isolation, reaching 654.81--705.05, 317.65--492.64, 9.94--18.95, 12.06--24.67, and 7.88--9.78 mg/100 g, respectively, in PI. In contrast, manganese decreased from 1.02--2.14 mg/100 g in DF to 0.02--0.25 mg/100 g in PI, indicating loss of soluble, loosely bound forms during aqueous fractionation. Sodium increased moderately to 280.50--291.99 mg/100 g in PI. A 100 g portion of PI provided up to 52% of the adult potassium adequate intake, 70% of the calcium Recommended Dietary Allowance, and 70% of the phosphorus Recommended Dietary Allowance. The Na/K ratio remained favourable (0.17--0.25), while the Ca/P ratio reached 2.063 in PI. MSI assessment indicated wide safety margins for DF and PC, whereas trace-element accumulation narrowed the margin in PI, particularly for copper. These legume fractions are nutrient-dense ingredients, but PI inclusion levels require careful portion control, especially in paediatric formulations.
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DOI: 10.61298/rans.2026.4.2.369
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