Comparison of Chemical Constituents in Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) Flour between Cultivation Regions and Seeding Dates

Legumes are one of the largest families of crop plants and are widely consumed and produced for their nutritional and commercial benefits. Mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) is a legume crop that contains various functional compounds ; moreover, it has strong antioxidant properties and is becoming an increasingly important food crop. However, most previous studies on mung beans have focused on their primary metabolites. In this study, we investigated the composition and contents of phenolic compounds, fatty acids, soyasapogenol and tocopherol in mung beans cultivated in different regions and cultivated at different seeding dates. Material analysis was conducted using the following methods: LC-MS/MS, GC-FID and HPLC-ELSD. In total, 57 different samples were analyzed. Thirteen phenolic compounds were detected in mung beans. Of these, vitexin and isovitexin were the most abundant compounds, accounting for approximately 99% of phenolic compounds. The difference in phenol compounds according to the seeding dates of mung bean was not statistically significant. The total fatty acid content in beans was the highest in Pyeongchang. Significant differences in total fatty acid content were found according to the cultivation regions. Crops grown in Sohyeon and Dahyeon showed the highest soyasapogenol B content in the Suwon region, and these were the lowest in Jeonju. The total tocopherol content of beans cultivated in Dahyeon and Sohyeon was the lowest and highest in Pyeongchang. Soyasapogenol B and total tocopherol content were not significantly different according to seeding dates. This study was conducted to obtain basic data for the cultivation of mung beans with a high content of various functional materials in terms of regional specialization and optimal seeding time.