The inhibitory effect of albumin extracts from white beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on in vitro iron and zinc dialysability: role of phytic acid

The role of phytic acid in determining iron and zinc dialysability in albumin extracts from raw, cooked and cooked/dephytinized white beans, has been investigated. Albumin extract from raw beans was characterized by high iron (19mg/100g), zinc (6.9mg/100g) and phytic acid (11.5 micromole g-1) contents and a low mineral dialysablity (Fe 0.8%, Zn 2.5%). Cooking did not influence the mineral dialysability from bean but significantly increased the dialysability of iron (1%, p < 0.001) and zinc (5.3%, p < 0.001) from the albumin extract. Slight modifications in the composition of inositol phosphates after cooking, both in beans and in albumin extract, were observed. The improvement in iron and zinc dialysability from cooked/dephytinized samples was strictly dependent on the residual IP(6+5) (inositol hexa + pentaphosphates) content. Compared to cooked beans, in cooked/dephytinized bean a reduction of IP(6+5) of 49% led to an increase of the iron and zinc dialysability (29% p < 0.05 and 42%, p < 0.001, respectively). Albumin extract from this sample showed a reduction of 58% in iron and of 45% in zinc content, an almost complete reduction in IP(6+5) content (0.6 micromole g-1) and a strong increase in the iron and zinc dialysability. The albumin digests showed peptides of similar MW profiles but of different amino acid compositions. In particular, in peptides which derived from digestion of albumin extracted from cooked/dephytinized beans, a strong increase in cysteine content was found, indicating that, after the disruption of phytate-mineral-protein complexes cysteine-rich fragments were released. The study indicates that phytic acid is responsible for the low iron and zinc dialysability from the albumin bean fraction and indicates the significance of the amino acid composition of the protein digestion products for the enhancement of mineral dialysability.