BIOACTIVE COMPOUNDS AND ANTIOXIDANT ACTIVITY IN GRAINS OF LIMA BEAN GENOTYPES

INTRODUCTION: Lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) plays a relevant role, mainly in the Northeast region of Brazil, where it is an alternative source of income and food source for the population, which consumes it in the form of mature or green grains, decreasing dependence on common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris). The dry grains have nutritional value similar to common bean, containing approximately 63% of carbohydrates, 25% of protein and 6% of fibers (AZEVEDO et al, 2003). Grain consumption contributes synergistically to its medicinal properties as antioxidant, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and antimicrobial, with a positive effect against some chronic diseases (DÍAZ et al, 2010). The cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) has nutraceutical properties quite pronounced and increasingly consumed in human food, the beneficial effects of its bioactive compounds remains unexplored (BECKER; SIDDHURAJU, 2007). In the literature there is little data available on Lima bean and its potential antioxidant capacity for which the grains of several varieties were analyzed