Pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan L. Millsp.) is a grain legume crop that is crucial for food and nutrition security in the subtropicalregions of Asia and Africa
Pigeonpea is one of India's most important pulse crops and a major source of dietary protein. It plays a vital role in ensuring the country's food and nutritional security.
Pigeonpea is an important source of proteins, carbohydrates, B-group vitamins, and certain minerals. India contributes over 90% of the pigeonpea production in the world where it is mostly consumed as dehusked splits or dhal. In African countries and Latin America, it is mainly consumed as canned peas.
Pigeon pea is one of the most multipurpose grain legumes in the tropical and subtropical world. It is highly resilient to climate change due to drought tolerance. It ranks sixth following common beans, chickpeas, field peas, cowpeas, and lentils globally.
Pigeon pea is an excellent source of high-quality protein, essential amino acids, and minerals.
Furthermore, pigeon pea is endowed with valuable water-soluble vitamins such as thiamin, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and niacin.
With low levels of saturated fat and sodium and being cholesterol free, pigeon peas emerge as a nutritious dietary choice.
Pigeon peas are rich sources of bioactive compounds with various potential health properties, including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antidiabetic effects.
Pigeon peas can be consumed in diverse forms, including whole seeds, split seeds (known as dhal), vegetables using green seeds, and fresh pods.
Legumes like pigeon peas in diets offers all essential amino acids, vitamin B, vitamin C (ascorbic acid), carotenoids, magnesium, and iron.
Apart from this high nutritional value, pigeon pea is used as a traditional medicine in India, China, the Philippines, and some other nations.. It is used for curing measles, smallpox, chicken pox, sickle cell anemia, fever, dysentery, hepatitis, and malaria . \
Pigeon pea has a good number of health-promoting bioactive compounds, like phenolic compounds, flavonoids, tannins, saponins, and phytic acid. These compounds have countless useful properties like anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, and antidiabetic effects
Pigeon pea holds promise as a significant source of water-soluble vitamins such as thiamin, ascorbic acid, riboflavin, and niacin
Notably, it is abundant in vitamin A and contains higher levels of vitamin C compared to ordinary peas and beans
Additionally, they collaborate with enzymes involved in metabolic pathways, facilitating the production of essential nutrients such as energy, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats
vitamins contribute to the maintenance of nervous system functions
Pigeon pea serves as a notable source of essential minerals including potassium, magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, and phosphorus
Additionally, pigeon peas contain zinc, which is essential for maintaining the body's immune system
Calcium, another vital mineral present in pigeon peas, enhances bone strength, supports dental health, aids muscle function, regulates blood clotting, facilitates nerve transmission and promotes the activity of digestive enzymes
Bioactive compounds, which are usually found in small quantities compared to macronutrients, play a crucial role in various food items
In pigeon pea, the main bioactive compounds identified so far are broadly classified into the flavonoids, phenolics, and stilbenes groups
The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis of ethanol leaves extract revealed seven flavonoids including pinostrobin, orientin, naringenin, apigenin, apigenin-6,8-di-C-α-L-arabinopyranoside and pinostrobin chalcone, and two stilbenes, namely, pinostrobin, orientin, naringenin, apigenin, and pinostrobin chalcone
