Nutritional values and metabolic profile with and without boiled treatment of 'Gallo matese' beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), a landrace from southern Italy

Background. 'Gallo Matese' beans are known as a typical legume of Southern Italy and continue to be consumed as a traditional food preserving the diversity of this region. Nonetheless, no information about the nutritional values of this legume is available. The objective of the present investigation was to determine the nutritional value and metabolic profile of 'Gallo Matese' beans. Results. 'Gallo Matese' beans contain high levels of proteins (22.64 g/100 g) and essential amino acids (8.3 g/100 g). Furthermore, different unsaturated fatty acids contribute to the total amount of lipids (0.97 g/100 g); among them, the essential PUFA a-linolenic (0.48 g/100 g) and linoleic (0.39 g/100 g) acids are the most abundant. The total phenol content was revealed and ABTS and ORAC-fluorescein methods were applied to determine the radical scavenging capabilities of the extract with and without boiled treatment. Finally, a decrease in trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities was estimated before and after the boiling procedure. Conclusion. The data obtained show that 'Gallo Matese' beans are a functional food with healthy qualities. Overall, these results are useful to promote their cultivation and consumption, thus preserving Italian beans biodiversity due to consumer interest in choosing a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet.