Nutritional and Functional Properties of Mung Bean Proteins
Summary
Mung bean proteins represent a high-quality plant protein source, comprising up to 25 % of seed dry weight and exhibiting a balanced amino acid profile with modest deficiencies in sulphur‐containing residues. Digestibility rates are comparable to those of traditional legumes, and enzymatic hydrolysis yields bioactive peptides with antihypertensive, antioxidant and immunomodulatory activities. Functionally, mung bean proteins display desirable solubility across a broad pH range, robust emulsifying capacity and notable foaming and gelling properties. Fractionation into albumin- and globulin-rich fractions reveals that albumins form stiffer interfacial films, promoting foam stability, whereas globulins contribute to emulsion formation. Advances in mild wet and dry fractionation, together with isoelectric precipitation, allow the tailor-making of protein ingredients for diverse food applications, from plant-based foams to stabilised emulsions. The presence of phytochemicals and residual polysaccharides further modulates functional behaviour, offering opportunities for sustainable ingredient development and nutritional fortification in global food systems.
Research from Nature Portfolio
No recent Nature Portfolio content available.
Nutritional and Functional Properties of Mung Bean Proteins publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in nutritional and functional properties of mung bean proteins across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Albumin: Water-soluble seed proteins that form rigid interfacial films and enhance foam stability.
Globulin: Salt-soluble storage proteins that contribute to emulsification by reducing interfacial tension.
Emulsifying capacity: Protein’s ability to stabilise oil-in-water mixtures by adsorbing at interfaces.
Foaming capacity: Measure of a protein’s efficiency in forming and maintaining air-filled structures in an aqueous phase.
Isoelectric precipitation: Technique that isolates proteins by adjusting pH to their isoelectric point, where solubility is lowest.
Hydrolysate: Mixture of peptides produced by enzymatic or chemical cleavage of proteins, often possessing bioactive functions.
References
- Physical, interfacial and foaming properties of different mung bean protein fractions. Food Hydrocolloids (2023).
- Mung Bean (Vigna radiata L.): Bioactive Polyphenols, Polysaccharides, Peptides, and Health Benefits. Nutrients (2019).
- Mung bean proteins and peptides: nutritional, functional and bioactive properties. Food & Nutrition Research (2018).
- Nutritional, phytochemical and antioxidant properties of 24 mung bean (Vigna radiate L.) genotypes. Food Production, Processing and Nutrition (2021).
About these summaries
This Nature Research Intelligence Topic summary is created with the cited references and a large language model. We take care to ground generated text with facts, and have systems in place to gain human feedback on the overall quality of the process in line with our AI principles. We strive to create accurate and useful summaries for people unfamiliar with the research topic and that supports this goal. These pages are a beta release and will be updated as we learn how best to help people gain value from a research topic summary.
Turn complex research questions into confident strategic decisions
When you're under pressure to set direction, justify investment, or understand your competitive position, you need more than raw data — you need trusted insights you can act on.
Benchmark your performance against global peers using robust, methodologically sound analysis.
Combine quantitative metrics with qualitative expert insight to uncover strengths, gaps and emerging opportunities.
Gain tailored, decision-ready recommendations aligned to your strategic priorities.
Talk to us to learn more about our data dashboards and bespoke strategy reports.
Grow research skills, confidence and careers with training built for every stage of the research lifecycle.
Developed with Nature Portfolio journal Editors and internationally renowned experts. Discover three ways to learn:
Self-paced, online courses in convenient bite-sized units, covering key skills across scientific writing, publishing, grant writing, data analysis, and more.
Expert trainer-led workshops with hands-on exercises and real-time feedback across core research skills, delivered via interactive group sessions.
Editor-led workshops combining core principles in writing and publishing, personalised 1:1 feedback from Nature Portfolio Editors and hands-on exercises.
Explore course catalogues and workshop agendas, enquire about the options or request institutional pricing.