Exploring the nutraceutical potential of Lebanese legume extracts: Antioxidant and in vitro anticancer activities

Breast Cancer (BC) stands as the most prevalent cancer among women in 157 of 185 countries, including Lebanon. Its substantial burden highlights the need for accessible and sustainable preventive and therapeutic strategies. Dietary intervention, particularly through bioactive-rich foods, has gained increasing attention for its potential role in cancer prevention and management, and the Mediterranean diet is widely recognized for its protective effects against cancer, largely attributed to its abundance of bioactive compounds. Legumes are a cornerstone of this dietary pattern and represent a promising source of bioactive constituents. Notably, recent research identified Lebanese varieties of common beans and lentils with higher levels of bioactive compounds than those from other countries in the region, highlighting their potential as locally relevant sources of anticancer compounds. Therefore, we evaluated the radical-scavenging and anticancer potential of crude extracts from three Lebanese local lentil cultivars (red, green, and brown) and three bean cultivars (white long, white broad, and red round) through phytochemical profiling, antioxidant capacity assessment, and in vitro cytotoxicity evaluation. Using the Folin-Ciocalteu method and pH differential method, the total polyphenol content and total anthocyanin content, respectively, were quantified in crude methanolic extracts of the thermally processed (boiled) legume varieties. Antioxidant activity of the crude extracts was also evaluated using the DPPH assay, while cytotoxicity against FHs-74 fetal small intestinal epithelial cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells was assessed using the MTT assay across concentrations of 0.3125–10 mg/mL. Brown lentils exhibited the highest TPC (1.394 ± 0.054 mg GAE/g), followed by green lentils, with both significantly exceeding the TPC of red lentils (0.25 ± 0.014 mg GAE/g). Among the bean varieties, red round beans (1.232 ± 0.026 mg GAE/g) had the highest TPC, significantly exceeding that of white broad beans (0.431 ± 0.022 mg GAE/g) and white long beans (0.405 ± 0.015 mg GAE/g). Brown lentils also exhibited the highest TAC (2.06 ± 0.181 µg CE/g), which was statistically comparable to that of red lentils (1.411 ± 0.212 µg CE/g) and red round beans (1.944 ± 0.199 µg CE/g). Antioxidant capacity generally followed the TPC pattern, with brown lentils showing the strongest antioxidant capacity. Regarding cytotoxicity, white long beans showed potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 cells with a limited selectivity index (IC₅₀ = 7.42 mg/mL; SI of 1.21). Green lentils also exhibited potent cytotoxic activity against MCF-7 with limited selectivity (IC₅₀ = 8.66 mg/mL; SI of 1.05). White broad beans appeared to exhibit potent cytotoxicity against MCF-7 but were slightly more toxic toward FHs-74 cells (IC₅₀ = 7.45 mg/mL; SI of 0.93). Brown lentils and red round beans had the highest phytochemical content and antioxidant activity among the respective lentil and bean varieties, whereas red lentils had the lowest values. White long bean, followed by white broad bean and green lentil, showed the greatest antiproliferative activity against MCF-7 cells. Although total polyphenolic content was significantly associated with antioxidant activity, it was not with antiproliferative activity, and the extracts showed limited differential cytotoxicity between the cell lines.

Luqman is a graduate student at the American University of Beirut with a master’s degree in nutrition. He holds a diploma and a bachelor's degree in nutrition and dietetics, and his research focuses on how dietary constituents contribute to the prevention and management of NCDs, particularly cancer. In the past year, he served as a Mastercard Foundation Scholar’s Representative and has demonstrated leadership through mentorship, community engagement, and initiatives that support fellow scholars and underserved communities. Currently, he leads nutrition program planning at the DexaDiet Sustainability Initiative to improve health outcomes in low-income communities.