Polyphenol-Rich Lentils and Their Health
Promoting Effects
Kumar Ganesan ID and Baojun Xu * ID
Food Science and Technology Program, Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, Zhuhai 519085, China; kumarganesan@uic.edu.hk
* Correspondence: baojunxu@uic.edu.hk; Tel.: +86-756-362-0636; Fax: +86-756-362-0882
Received: 18 October 2017; Accepted: 7 November 2017; Published: 10 November 2017
Abstract: Lentil (Lens culinaris; Family: Fabaceae) is a potential functional dietary ingredient which has polyphenol-rich content. Several studies have demonstrated that the consumption of lentil is immensely connected to the reduction in the incidence of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, cancers and cardiovascular diseases due to its bioactive compounds. There has been increasing scientific interest in the study area of lentils as the functional food due to its high nutritive value, polyphenols, and other bioactive compounds. These polyphenols and the bioactive compounds found in lentil play an important role in the prevention of those degenerative diseases in humans. Besides that, it has health-promoting effects. Based on the in vitro, in-vivo and clinical studies, the present review focuses to provide more information on the nutritional compositions, bioactive compounds including polyphenols and health-promoting effects of lentils. Health-promoting information was gathered and orchestrated at a suitable place in the review.
Keywords: polyphenols; lentils; antioxidants; degenerative diseases; health-promoting effects
