According to the United

Nations Food and

Agriculture Organization
(FAO), the Philippines and
India are among the
developing countries with
high levels of obesity and
under-nutrition.

A 2011 survey by
the Food and
Nutrition Research
Institute (FNRI)
showed that 22.3
percent of Filipino
adults are
overweight, 6.1
percent are obese
and is expected to
increase
significantly by 2015

The Potential of Lima Beans (Phaseolus lunatus L.)

as a source of Resistant Starch and Food
Applications

Rhilen Audrey D. Teodoro

OBJECTIVES:
1. to tackle the principles of Resistant
Starch
2. to discuss the significance of resistant
starch various body processes
3. to enumerate and run through various
sources of Resistant starch
4. to discuss the significance of lima beans
as a source of RS and;
5. to offer possible applications of lima
beans starch
in
food/
product
development

STARCH
the major dietary source of carbohydrates
Polysaccharides; composed of a number of
monosaccharides or sugar (glucose)
molecules linked together with alpha-(1-4)
and/or alpha-(1-6) linkages

AMYLOSE
a linear polymer in
which glucose
residues are alphaD-(1-4) linked
constituting 15%
to 20% of starch
AMYLOPECTIN
larger branched
molecule with
alpha-D-(1-4) and
alpha-D-(1-6)
linkages
a major

RESISTANT STARCH
the sum of starch and products of starch degradation not
absorbed in the small intestine of healthy individuals
(Murphy et al.2008).
considered the third type of dietary fiber as it delivers
some benefits of insoluble and soluble fiber.

Types of Resistant Starch

Source: Sajilata, Singhal & Kulkarni (2006)

Why Resistant Starch?

Resistant Starch
Enhanced fermentation and
laxation in the large intestine
decrease in pathogenic
bacteria in the gut

Resistant Starch
Intakes of 17 to 30 g resistant starch from potato,
banana, wheat, and corn resulted in significant
increases in fecal weight and short-chain fatty acid
excretion (Cummings et al.1996; Murphy et al.2008;)
Dietary fibre and resistant starch, as they ferment in
the large bowel, produce high levels of butyric acid or
its salts (Sharma et al., 2008)

Resistant Starch
Does not directly contribute to blood
glucose level
plasma glucose and insulin responses were
seen to lower after adults with untreated
borderline diabetes were fed with meals
containing 11.5 g resistant starch (Behall and
Hallfrisch, 2002).

Resistant Starch

inhibits fat accumulation

Number of studies examined the potential of RS to

aid in oxidation of fats and its satiety functions to aid
in weight management.
Tapsell (2004), proposed that eating foods rich in RS
may promptly mobilize fat stores as insulin secretion
is reduced.

Resistant Starch
introducing bioreactive functional food
component such as RS in the diet is a
natural way to increase gut hormones which
are effective in reducing energy intake and a
natural way to treat obesity (Keenan et
al.2006; Fuentes-Zaragoza et al., 2010)

Sources of Resistant Starch

Source: Sajilata, Singhal & Kulkarni (2006)

Why legumes?
Lower digestibility compared to cereal starch
(Tharanathan and Mahadevamma,2003).
Legumes have high content of both soluble
and insoluble dietary fiber.
They are more prone to retrogradation

Lima Beans
butter

beans or baby lima are small varieties

grown as bush while pole or vine varieties are
called Lima Beans
Used in wide variety of dishes
good source of reasonable quantities of
proteins, vitamins, certain minerals, and are an
excellent source of complex carbohydrates and
dietary fiber.

Source:
http://www.selfsustainable.co.za/

Patani lima bean

Persian lima bean

Madagascar lima
bean

Peruvian Pallar

Sieva lima bean

Zebra lima bean

Lima Beans
Biliarderis et al (1981) found out that lima bean
starch was hydrolysed to a lower extent (47%) than
starches from mungbean ( 68%) and lentil ( 71%).
Comparable results was attained from the study conducted by
Hoover and Sosulski (1985) that showed that lima bean starch
soaked at 2.2 N HCl at 35C was more resistant to -amylosis
than other legume starches with only 3% hydrolysis in 9 hours.

Amylolytic susceptibility of native

starches viewed under SEM

Source: Hoover, Rorke & Martin

(1991)

a) Lima beans starch b) corn starch c) potato

starch

Lima Beans

Source: Murphy, Douglass and Birkett

(2008)

Lima Beans
A study performed by Bello-Perez et al (2007)
using starch from three varieties of cooked lima
beans found out that RS present ranges from 38 and
45 g/kg ( 3.8 and 4.5%) concluding low digestion
rate and suggesting slow carbohydrate feature.
Tovar and Melito (1996) however observed 30.7%
RS from isolated lima beans starch through steamheating.

Lima Beans
High amylose content of lima beans (32.7%)
compared to that of other cereal and tuber starch
(Bentacur-Ancona et al, 2001).

High amylose= high retrogradation = high RS3

Application
Flours and protein isolates
from Lima beans is reported
to have good water-holding
capacities with values
ranging between 2.65 and
3.80 g/g sample (ChelGuerrero et al, 2002).

Application
Thicken opaque health
beverages in which
insoluble fiber is derived.

Application
Protein content of native
starch was lower than
0.20% making it a
feasible source of high
glucose content syrups
(Bentacur-Arcona, 2001).

Application
RS3 allows for the
addition of high levels of
materials which still
functions like fiber but
does not interfere with
structure and will work
for extruded products
(Zallie, Altieri, Chiu and
Henley, 1996).

CONCLUSION
Not all starches are made equal
Starch from lima beans has a promising use as
flour
substitute
due
to
its
desirable
physicochemical properties.
It can also be used in the production of
extruded products as it improves air cell
expansion as compared to fiber

RECOMMENDATIONS
perform in depth studies and analysis of lima
beans encompassing the varieties that can be
found in the country.
Incorporate lima beans in food/product
development as it can create demand for the
plant

Acknowledgment

REFERENCES