Effect of Bioactive components of Pulses on Human health

Abstract

The pulses are dried seeds of the legumes. These are used as the human diet that includes lentils, peas, chickpeas and beans etc. Pulses are known as the vital source of the protein in the human nutrition. They also provide other essential nutrients i.e dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and folic acid. Other than the essential nutrients, the pulses contain other non-nutritive bioactive compounds such as the isoflavones, phenols, phytic acid, enzyme inhibitors, saponins and lectins also. These non-nutritive components have biological activities and have metabolic and physiological effects but they also considered as antinutrients due to their effect on food quality. But these compounds show protective health effects on humans also. The protective effects of these components are due to their antioxidative properties and other properties such as antimutagenic, antihyperglycemic effects, anticarcinogenic etc. Those make the pulses a major crop for the human health.