Relationship between content and intake of bean polyphenolics and protein digestibility in humans

Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of bean polyphenolics on bean protein digestibility in humans. Steam pressure cooking decreased tannic acid in beans by: 38.2 (white), 23.9 (red), 38.5 (white:black mixture, 50:50), 20.5 (Ipala black) and 44.4% (Jalpatagua black). The reduction in catechin was: 57.5, 97.6, 83.0, 78.7 and 88.4%, respectively. The content of tannic acid in dried cooked beans was: 284.9 in white, 834.5 in red, 620.2 in the white:black mixture, 1,021 in Ipala black and 1,009 mg/100 g in the Jalpatagua black bean. These percentages correlate significantly with fecal nitrogen (r=0.29, p<0.05). Catechin of the dried cooked beans was 7.5 in white, 27.4 in red, 25.4 in the white:black mixture (50:50), and 60.1 and 55.5 mg/100 g in each of the black cultivars, and correlated significantly with fecal nitrogen (r=0.34, p<0.01), absorbed nitrogen (r=−0.37, p<0.01) and protein digestibility (r=−0.35, p<0.01). It was concluded that one of the factors that reduces bean protein digestibility is the polyphenlic compound.