Phenolic profiles and nutritional quality of four new mungbean lines grown in northern Australia

Abstract Four new lines of mungbean cultivated under northern Australian cropping conditions (19.8462°S, 147.2448°E) were characterised for yield, seed characteristics, nutritional contents, phytochemical profiles and phenolic acid contents. Their performance was compared to a commercially grown mungbean line (Jade‐AU). The seed yield for three of the new lines (AVTMB 1, 3 and 4) was 14% higher compared to Jade‐AU. However, the seed size of AVTMB 1 was also significantly smaller compared to the other lines and Jade‐AU. in vitro sprouting acceptability scores ranged between 80% and 100%, with no significant difference between lines. Ash content was highest (4.26% w/w) for lines with smallest seed (e.g., AVTMB 1), while higher protein content was recorded for AVTMB 1 followed by AVTMB 4, AVTMB 3 and Jade‐AU, and lowest in AVTMB 2. The seed coat colour of AVTMB 1 and 4 was significantly different (lighter green) than other lines and Jade‐AU, whereas the flour colour did not vary significantly. Total polyphenolic content, antioxidant capacity and total monomeric anthocyanin content did not vary significantly between lines. Phenolic acid and flavonoid profiling by HPLC showed the predominant constituents to be vitexin (which averaged between 115 and 149 μg/g for different lines), isovitexin (132–174 μg/g) and catechin (94–105 μg/g). There were statistically significant differences between the mungbean lines for several individual phenolic acids, including p‐hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, caffeic, sinapic, ferulic and cinnamic acids, as well as for the flavonoid glycoside vitexin. In most cases, with the highest concentrations of these compounds were found in AVTMB 4 or AVTMB 1. Several of these new mungbean lines show potential for commercial cropping in the drier, hotter regions of northern Australia due to their yield and seed quality performance.