*3.4. Lablab and Common Bean*

Lablab (*Lablab purpureus* L.), an ancient legume species, serves as a vegetable and is widely cultivated throughout the tropics, subtropics and temperate zones [205]. Fruit are green pods, 6 cm long by 2 cm wide, flattened, contain 4–5 seeds and turn light brown-purple when mature [206]. Al-Snafi [207] and Momim et al. [208] reviewed the phytochemical properties of lablab and its medicinal importance, exhibiting antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antioxidant, cytotoxic, hypolipidemic, antimicrobial, insecticidal, hepatoprotective, antilithiatic, antispasmodic effects. Moreover, Momim et al. [208] and Deoda et al. [209] reported that the juice derived from the fruit pods was used as astringent, digestive, stomachic, to expel worms and for the treatment of inflamed ears and throats. Soetan [210] studied the pharmacological potentials of three varieties ("Rongai brown", "Rongai white", and "Highworth black") of *L. purpureus* seeds and showed that raw and aqueous extracts contained various phytochemicals including trypsin inhibitors, hemagglutinin, cyanogenic glycosides, oxalates, phytates, tannins, and saponins, with greater contents in raw material compered to aqueous extracts. Other biocidal effects have been reported including antilithianic activity [209], hepatopreotective effects [211], and inhibited trypsin and plasmin activity [212].

Momim et al. [208] reported significant antioxidant capacity (DPPH) with the lowest IC50 found in purple lablab compared to the white one (430.00 μg/mL *vs* 853.13 μg/mL). In the same study, total flavonoids content in purple fruit was 32.09 ± 0.36 mg quercetin equivalent/g fw while in green lablab it was 42.55 ± 5.77 mg quercetin equivalent/g fw. Bhaisare et al. [206] reported vitamin C content of 81.00 ± 0.16 mg/g and vitamin E content of 73.66 ± 0.08 mg/g in fresh bean seeds of *L. purpureus*.

Total content of anthocyanins in purple (cv. "Hong Fu") pods was about 1.58 mg/g, while low amounts were detected in green (cv. "Qing Feng") ones. Compared to green pods, five kinds of anthocyanins (malvidin, delphinidin, and petunidin derivatives) were found in purple pods by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS and the major compounds were identified as delphinidin derivatives [213]. Besides, nine kinds of polyphenol derivatives, namely quercetin, myricetin, kaempferol, and apigenin derivatives were detected by UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and the major components were quercetin and myricetin derivatives [213].

Common bean (*Phaseolus vulgaris* L.) is another legumes species with pods of varied colors, including black, red, blue, and violet [214,215]. Anthocyanins content may vary significantly depending on the genotype, while polyphenols content is highly associated with the antioxidant activities of pods [216]. Tsuda et al. [217] reported that pelargonidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-glucoside, and delphinidin-3-glucoside isolated from *P. vulgaris* (black bean) seed coat, as well as their standard aglycones, have strong antioxidative activity in a liposomal system and reduced formation of malondialdehyde by UVB irradiation [217]. According to Mazewski et al. [218], purple beans contain mostly condensed tannins which are responsible for the antiproliferative activities against human colon cancer cell lines (HCT-116 and HT-29).
