Utilization of Proteins from Kidney Bean Field Pea and Amaranth Grains

Proteins are used as functional ingredients primarily to increase nutritional

quality and to provide desirable sensory characteristics such as structure, texture and

colour to a number of formulated foods. These are used widely in food industry as these

are generally recognized as safe, possess unique functional properties and have a high

nutritional value (Chen et al., 2006). Proteins from animal as well as plant sources are

used commercially as functional ingredients. Plant proteins are the most abundant

source of proteins on earth. These have been classified into three main classes: storage,

structural and protective. Storage proteins (present in the highest proportion) are of

particular importance for human beings as these can be used as dietary proteins (Vasco-

Mendez et al., 1999). Traditionally, legumes, cereals and oilseeds are major sources of

plant proteins. Proteins constitute 6 to 40% dry matter of these seeds. Seed proteins can

be further classified on the basis of their solubility into albumins (water soluble),

globulins (saline soluble), prolamins (alcohol soluble) and glutelins (dilute alkali

soluble) (Osborne, 1924). Globulins are the main storage proteins in legumes, while

prolamins and glutelins are the major proteins in cereals (Utsumi, 1992; Boulter and

Croy, 1997; Kiosseoglou and Paraskevopoulou, 2011).