Chemical composition and antioxidant activity of seeds of different cultivars of mungbean.

Seeds of 4 cultivars (M-1, M-6, NM-92, and NM-98) of mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek] were investigated for proximate composition, antioxidant potential, fatty acids, tocopherols, and minerals profiles. Hexane-extracted seed oil content of the investigated cultivars of mungbeans ranged from 1.20% to 1.56%. Mungbean seeds were found to be a rich source of protein (20.97% to 31.32%). The contents of Fe, Cu, Mg, Na, K, Ca, and Zn were found to be 105.8 to 190.9, 4.8 to 6.3, 48.6 to 51.7, 382.6 to 562.7, 11.6 to 18.8, 359.2 to 482.9, and 24.9 to 47.2 mg/kg, respectively. The mungbean seeds contained linoleic acid in the highest amount, 340.5 to 465.7 mg/100 g of dry seed, followed by palmitic, oleic, linolenic, stearic, and arachidic acids: 278.1 to 401.2, 212.6 to 293.5, 188.7 to 236.8, 135.5 to 168.4, and 22.8 to 24.5 mg/100 g of dry seed, respectively. The seeds were found to be a rich source of tocopherols (alpha, gamma, delta) ranged from 1.1 to 10.1, 60.7 to 80.9, and 4.6 to 11.2 mg/kg, respectively. Methanolic extracts of the seeds of the mungbean cultivars exhibited a good antioxidant activity as determined in terms of measurement of total phenolic contents (TPC) (0.62 to 1.08 g/100 g of dry matter), percent inhibition of peroxidation (49.8% to 89.2%), reducing power (1.19% to 1.45%), and bleaching beta-carotene. The results of the present analytical study revealed these 4 mungbean cultivars to be a potential source of essential fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals and protein, all of which are linked with positive health benefits.