ABSTRACT
Pigeon peas, an important pulse of rain-fed agriculture in tropical and subtropical regions, remains an underutilized pulse with diminishing cultivation and utilization, owing to its hard-to-cook nature and the scant information regarding its nutraceutical potential. Recent research on pigeon peas focuses on the nutritional, functional, and health benefits of its main components (protein and carbohydrates). Pigeon pea protein possesses antioxidative, antihypertensive, and antidiabetic properties, making it a potential functional ingredient for the formulation/development of novel dietary supplement with significant benefit to cardiovascular health. Similarly, pigeon pea starch is an unconventional dietary starch with reported functional and technological properties such as superior swelling capacity, paste viscosity, and starch-resistant content. Its lower breakdown and retrogradation tendencies improved upon modification. Studies have also established the applicability of native or modified pigeon pea starch as stabilizer in the food system. Thus, the utilization of the major constituents of pigeon peas in food applications would be of immense benefit in the development of functional foods.
