The food industry, academia, food technologists, and consumers have become more interested in using faba bean seeds in the formulation of new products because of their nutritional content, accessibility, low costs, environmental advantages, and beneficial impacts on health. In this review, a systematic and up-to-date report on faba bean seeds’ antinutrients and bioactive and processing techniques is comprehensively presented. The chemical composition, including the oil composition and carbohydrate constituents, is discussed. Factors influencing the reduction of antinutrients and improvement of bioactive compounds, including processing techniques, are discussed. Thermal treatments (cooking, autoclaving, extrusion, microwaving, high-pressure processing, irradiation) and non-thermal treatments (soaking, germination, extraction, fermentation, and enzymatic treatment) are identified as methods to reduce the levels of antinutrients in faba bean seeds. Appropriate processing methods can reduce the antinutritional factors and enrich the bioactive components, which is useful for the seeds’ efficient utilization in developing functional foods. As a result, this evaluation focuses on the technologies that are employed to reduce the amounts of toxins in faba bean seeds. Additionally, a comparison of these methods is performed in terms of their advantages, disadvantages, viability, pharmacological activity, and potential for improvement using emerging technologies. Future research is expected in this area to fill the knowledge gap in exploiting the nutritional and health benefits of faba bean seeds and increase the utilization of faba bean seeds for different applications.

Environmental concerns linked to animal-based protein production have intensified interest in sustainable alternatives, with a focus on underutilized plant proteins. Faba beans, primarily used for animal feed, offer a high-quality protein source with promising bioactive compounds for food applications. This study explores the efficacy of ultrasound-assisted extraction under optimal conditions (123 W power, 1:15 g/mL solute/solvent ratio, 41 min sonication, 623 mL total volume) to isolate faba bean protein (U-FBPI). The ultrasound-assisted method achieved a protein extraction yield of 19.75 % and a protein content of 92.87 %, outperforming the control method's yield of 16.41 % and protein content of 89.88 %. Electrophoretic analysis confirmed no significant changes in the primary structure of U-FBPI compared to the control. However, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy revealed modifications in the secondary structure due to ultrasound treatment. The U-FBPI demonstrated superior water and oil holding capacities compared to the control protein isolate, although its foaming capacity was reduced by ultrasound. Thermal analysis indicated minimal impact on the protein's thermal properties under the applied ultrasound conditions. This research highlights the potential of ultrasound-assisted extraction for improving the functional properties of faba bean protein isolates, presenting a viable approach for advancing plant-based food production and contributing to sustainable protein consumption.

Faba beans as an alternative source of protein have received significant attention from consumers and the food industry. Flavor represents a major driving force that hinders the utilization faba beans in various products due to off-flavor. Off-flavors are produced from degradation of amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids during seed development and post-harvest processing stages (storage, dehulling, thermal treatment, and protein extraction). In this review, we discuss the current state of knowledge on the aroma of faba bean ingredients and various aspects, such as cultivar, processing, and product formulation that influence flavour. Germination, fermentation, and pH modulation were identified as promising methods to improve overall flavor and bitter compounds. The probable pathway in controlling off-flavor evolution during processing has also been discussed to provide efficient strategies to limit their impact and to encourage the use of faba bean ingredients in healthy food design.

In September 2016, the UK adopted a new Bank of England (BoE) £5 polymer banknote, followed by the £10 polymer banknote in September 2017. They are designed to be cleaner, stronger and have increased counterfeit resilience; however, fingermark development can be problematic from the polymer material as various security features and coloured/textured areas have been found to alter the effectiveness of conventional fingermark enhancement techniques (FETs). As fingermarks are one of the most widely used forms of identification in forensic cases, it is important that maximum ridge detail be obtained in order to allow for comparison. This research explores the use of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) profiling and imaging for the analysis of fingermarks deposited on polymer banknotes. The proposed methodology was able to obtain both physical and chemical information from fingermarks deposited in a range of scenarios including; different note areas, depletion series, aged samples and following conventional FETs. The analysis of forensically important molecular targets within these fingermarks was also explored, focussing specifically on cocaine. The ability of MALDI-MS to provide ridge detail and chemical information highlights the forensic applicability of this technique and potential for the analysis of fingermarks deposited onto this problematic surface.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was evaluated as a green procedure to produce faba beans protein isolates from faba beans. Magnetic stirring was performed as conventional extraction. A three-level five-factor Box-Behnken Design (BBD) was applied to obtain the optimal UAE conditions to concurrently maximize extraction yield and protein content. The response surface methodology (RSM) showed a quadratic curvature for extraction yield and protein. The optimal extraction conditions were determined as: Power of 123 W, solute/solvent ratio of 0.06 (1:15 g/mL), sonication time of 41 min, and total volume of 623 mL with a desirability value of 0.82. Under these conditions, the extraction yield of 19. 75 ± 0.87 % (Protein yield of 67.84 %) and protein content of 92.87 ± 0.53 % were obtained for optimum ultrasound extraction. Control samples using magnetic stirring under similar conditions without ultrasound treatment showed an extraction yield of 16.41 ± 0.02 % (Protein yield of 54.65 %) and a protein content of 89. 88 ± 0.40 %. This shows that BBD can effectively be used to optimize the extraction of proteins from faba beans using optimal extraction conditions, resulting in a higher extraction yield and protein purity.

A multimodal imaging workflow (DESI MSI followed by MALDI MSI) for the analysis of ballpoint pen inks and substrates.