TITLE:
Protein Content, Cooking Time, and Seed Color as Selection Criteria in Ayocote Bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) for Consumption
AUTHORS:
Karlo Francisco Palacios-Pardo, Guillermo Martín Carrillo-Castañeda, Serafín Cruz-Izquierdo, Julio Arturo Gomez-Estrada
KEYWORDS:
Underutilized Legume, Secondary Metabolites, Paper Chromatography, Phenotypic Variability
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.17 No.7,
July
29,
2026
ABSTRACT: Phaseolus coccineus L. is a legume characterized by wide phenotypic variability in seed color and size, traits associated with physical and nutritional grain attributes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between seed coat color and physical quality, cooking behavior, and chemical composition in ayocote bean materials. Nine F3 families selected based on color variability and yield were analyzed. Thousand-seed weight (TSW), cooking time (CT), broth density, and relative protein content using the Lowry method were determined, while chromatographic profiles were evaluated through paper chromatography. Analysis of variance showed significant differences in TSW among seed color groups (F = 13.87; p p > 0.05). Relative protein content ranged from 39.3 to 54.0%, with cream mottled black showing the highest values. Chromatographic profiles revealed between 4 and 5 spots with Rf values ranging from 0.04 to 0.45, indicating variability in the chemical composition among evaluated materials. The results suggest that seed coat color may be considered a useful criterion for selecting ayocote bean materials with attributes associated with physical quality, cooking performance, and chemical composition.