HPLC ANALYSIS OF BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS IN TEN DIFFERENT WILD TYPE UNDER-UTILIZED LEGUME GRAINS

In recent years, many food industries have been initiated the formulation of nutraceutical/functional foods by incorporating the bioactive ingredients for the prevention/treatment of certain chronic diseases. In this connection, certain promising wild type under-utilized legume grains received more attention, since they are naturally a rich source of L-Dopa (precursor of dopamine) and certain bioactive compounds including phenolics, tannins and phytic acid. In the present study, seed materials of certain promising wild type under-utilized food legume grains such as Abrus precatorius L., Acacia leucopholea Willd, Bauhinia varigata L., Canavalia gladiata (Jacq.) DC., Cassia floribunda Cav., Entada scandens Benth., Indigofera linifolia (L.f.) Retz., Mucuna monosperma DC. Ex Wight., Sesbania bispinosa (Jacq.) Wight. and Tamarindus indica L., collected from Eastern and Western Ghats of South India, were investigated for certain bioactive compounds through HPLC technique. All the analysed samples were found to constitute a viable source of total free phenolics (4.23 – 8.75 g/100 g DM), tannins (1.04 – 5.41 g /100 g DM), L-Dopa (1.17 – 5.34 g/100 g DM) and phytic acid (0.96 – 2.74 g/100 g DM) and also the newly developed HPLC procedures were proven to be sensitive enough to detect these bioactive compounds even at tracer level. Further, such wild type legume grains could be recommended as a natural source of bioactive compounds in the dietary management of certain chronic diseases such as Parkinsonism, diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, cancer etc.