CHAPTER 3: Phenolic Compounds: Flavonoids in Legumes

Fabaceae are a vast family of plants that have been used by mankind for their economic importance and cultural aspects. Although known for being a staple food throughout the world, they are also very interesting in terms of bioactive molecules, and their interest has been in part due to the phenolic composition, namely flavonoids and their subclasses, which play important roles in the plant itself (protection, and regulation), towards the consumer's health (bioactivity, prevention of diseases) and in various industries (medicinal, cosmetic, food). Herein, a brief overview of the flavonoid classes is explained, detailing the chemical blocks, their importance in the plant kingdom and uses. Furthermore, a brief characterization of the eleven most important legumes in terms of the incidence of flavonoids is undertaken, encompassing their identification, quantification, methodologies, provenance and variety, thus, establishing a comparison between each plant's chemical profile to systematically conclude the prevalence of each subgroup of flavonoids in the species.