title: Toxicity Assessment of Common Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) Widely Consumed by Tunisian Population.
abstract: This research aimed at assessing the content and the functional properties of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in different varieties of beans widely consumed in Tunisia through soaking, cooking, autoclaving, germination, and their combinations. This study was carried out on three varieties of white beans grown in different localities of Tunisia, namely Twila, Coco, and Beldia, as well as on imported and local canned beans. All bean samples underwent biochemical and immunological evaluation by employing several techniques such as indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), hemagglutinating assay, Ouchterlony double immunodiffusion, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Biochemical and immunological analyses indicated that raw dry beans contained a considerable amount of proteins and PHAs. ELISA demonstrated that soaking, either in plain water or in alkaline solution, caused an increase in the concentration of PHA. A slight increase of PHA was produced equally by germination during 4 days in all bean varieties. Cooking or autoclaving of presoaked beans resulted in a complete disappearance of PHA. ELISA test also proved that both imported and local canned beans contained fingerprints of PHA. Hemagglutination assays showed that not only cooked and autoclaved presoaked beans lacked the ability to agglutinate red blood cells but also autoclaved unsoaked beans did. In agar gel immunodiffusion using rabbit anti-PHA serum, raw, soaked, cooked unsoaked, and sprouted beans gave precipitin arc reactions, indicating that PHA existed in immunoreactive form in the tested seeds. SDS-PAGE electrophoretograms showed protein isolates of Twila and Beldia beans to have different profiles through soaking, cooking, and autoclaving processes. This work revealed that the combination of soaking and cooking/autoclaving was the best way in reducing PHA content and its activity in all bean varieties when compared with germination.
authors.affiliation: 1 Intestinal Immunophysiology-Research Unit (02/RU/09-02), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Bab Saâdoun, Tunisia .|2 Department of Animal Resources, Fisheries, and Food Technology, National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia, El Mahrajène, Tunisia .|3 School of Energy, Materials, and Chemical Engineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Nader
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nciri
authors.affiliation: 3 School of Energy, Materials, and Chemical Engineering, Korea University of Technology and Education, Cheonan, Korea.
authors.forename: Namjun
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: 1 Intestinal Immunophysiology-Research Unit (02/RU/09-02), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Bab Saâdoun, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Faiçal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: El Mhamdi
authors.affiliation: 2 Department of Animal Resources, Fisheries, and Food Technology, National Institute of Agronomy of Tunisia, El Mahrajène, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Hanen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ben Ismail
authors.affiliation: 1 Intestinal Immunophysiology-Research Unit (02/RU/09-02), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Bab Saâdoun, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Abderraouf
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ben Mansour
authors.affiliation: 1 Intestinal Immunophysiology-Research Unit (02/RU/09-02), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Bab Saâdoun, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Fayçal Haj
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Sassi
authors.affiliation: 1 Intestinal Immunophysiology-Research Unit (02/RU/09-02), Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Bab Saâdoun, Tunisia .
authors.forename: Fatma
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ben Aissa-Fennira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003296:Cooking; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D004063:Digestion; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D018525:Germination; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D009753:Nutritive Value; D027805:Phaseolus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000633:toxicity*; D011817:Rabbits; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000633:toxicity; D014416:Tunisia; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014867:Water
keywords: Phaseolus vulgaris L.; SDS-PAGE; common bean; hemagglutination activity; indirect competitive ELISA; ouchterlony double immunodiffusion; phytohemagglutinin (PHA); processing methods