Bean sprouts are produced from the seeds of various legumes, including mung beans (Vigna radiata) and soybeans (Glycine max). During the germinating process, these seedlings produce a rich supply of nutrients. Bean sprouts have been a staple in East Asian, Indian subcontinent and Middle Eastern cuisine for thousands of years. They have been proven to have a wide range of health benefits, including digestive support and bone strength.
During the germinating process, bean sprouts are able to release a large amount of vitamins, minerals and amino acids that help in improving overall health. These include Vitamin C, Folic Acid and Manganese, among others. These are vital for the body’s metabolic processes, circadian rhythms and cellular signaling. They are also a great source of fiber, which helps in promoting digestive regularity and relieves constipation.
The phenolic content of bean sprouts is also improved by the germination process. They are rich in antioxidants, such as quercetin, kaempferol and isoquercithin, which have been shown to be effective in fighting cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and inflammation.
These sprouts are a rich source of B vitamins, such as riboflavin, thiamine, pantothenic acid and folate. Getting enough of these essential nutrients is important for the normal functioning of the immune system and reducing oxidative stress, which can lead to many diseases.
EE-broth enrichment was found to have significant genus-specific impacts on the composition of the microbiota of mungo bean sprouts. In particular, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased significantly after EE-broth enrichment, which may have influenced the ability of these bacteria to colonize the sprouts.
In contrast, BPW-based enrichment had a more uniform impact on the microbiota of the sprouts, with relatively minor changes observed in some genera. However, it reduced the number of genera shared between uncultured and enriched samples after 16 h at both incubation temperatures.
This might be due to the fact that BPW-based enrichment targets certain bacterial groups more efficiently than EE-broth. In addition, BPW-based enrichment is less selective in targeting Proteobacteria than EE-broth.