Nutritional and Bioactive Characterisation of Faba Bean (Vicia faba L.) Green Shoots as a Protein-Rich Leafy Vegetable

The global pursuit of food security requires consistent access to food that is adequate in quantity, quality, and diversity, yet there is still a significant challenge, particularly in regions such as the Canadian Prairies, where the availability of fresh green leafy vegetables is limited outside the summer season. This thesis provides a comprehensive nutritional and biochemical characterisation of faba bean shoots (Vicia faba L.), hereafter referred to as faba greens, to investigate their potential as a sustainable, nutrient–rich alternative to imported leafy vegetables. Although faba beans are traditionally grown for their mature seeds in Saskatchewan, their vegetative tissues represent an underexplored resource that offers significant agronomic advantages, including adaptation to cool temperate climates and possibility as dietary vegetables. The novelty of this research conducted by the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan lies in the development and systematic evaluation of reciprocal grain × vegetable crosses; in parallel, the Department of Food and Bioproduct Sciences characterized the nutritional profile of the resulting faba greens from different generation of breeding lines. Analytical evaluation of approximately 540 breeding lines across parental, F1, and F2 generations, cultivated in both controlled phytotron and field environments revealed that faba greens had an exceptional protein level (25.0%–49.8% DW). This protein concentration significantly outperforms conventional leafy greens for example spinach and kale (20%–35%), with rubisco identified as the dominant soluble protein fraction. Protein accumulation was found to be the highest during early developmental stages and in controlled environments with stable nitrogen–fertilizer application. Compositional analysis demonstrated that faba greens are an abundant source of minerals (ash content reaching 8.8%–11.5%) and dietary fibre (up to 50%), providing a superior dietary mineral source compared to traditional vegetables. Fatty acid profiling confirmed a beneficial "leaf–lipid" pattern dominated by α–linolenic acid (omega–3 fatty acid), which constitutes over 65% of the total fatty acid content in field–grown samples. To assess amino acids, an optimized UHPLC–ESI MS method was developed for the direct quantification of 20 underivatized amino acids. The results showed a varied and superior amino acid signature, with high–protein F2 genotypes exhibiting significantly elevated concentrations of essential amino acids, including arginine, leucine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, alanine, and valine. Asparagine and glutamine are the two dominate amino acids in faba greens, reflecting the primary nitrogen transporters in vegetative legume tissues. Furthermore, the research established that faba greens possess good bioactive potential. Total phenolic content (TPC) reached up to 88.4 mg GAE/g, significantly exceeding that of spinach (~12.40 mg/g) and kale (~18.77 mg/g), and correlated strongly with near–complete DPPH radical inhibition (~95%), indicating strong antioxidant potential. Additionally, faba greens were identified as a competitive source of vitamin C, with peak concentrations of 8.9 mg/g, which is more than four times higher than levels found in mature faba seeds and is comparable to other leafy greens. In conclusion, these findings provide a scientific basis for the integration of faba greens into sustainable food systems. By bridging the gap between the agronomic benefits of legume crops and the nutritional versatility of leafy shoots, faba greens represent a locally adapted, high–value functional vegetable.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Food Science

Grantor

University of Saskatchewan

Year dc:date.issued

2026

Author dc:creator

• KAUR, ASKET

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Zhang, Haixia

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Nickerson, Michael
• Reaney, Martin
• Vandenberg, Albert
• Tanaka, Takuji

• Faba bean
• Faba greens
• Genotypic variation
• Nutritional composition
• Amino acid
• quantification, liquid chromatography (LC)
• Mass Spectrometry (MS)
• Bioactive compound
• antioxidant capacity

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/10388/18196

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:harvest.usask.ca:10388/18196