the phenolic profile of pea (pisum sativum): a phytochemical and pharmacological overview

Pisum sativum l., (fabaceae), commonly known as dry, green or field pea, is one of the most popular and economically important legumes. it enjoys a worldwide culinary, folk, and medicinal reputation owing to its ubiquitous health-promoting nutrients, e.g. proteins, complex carbohydrates, and dietary fibres, along with a myriad of valuable phytochemicals, mostly phenolics, terpenoids, and nitrogenous compounds. long ago, the phytochemical composition of pea plants has received considerable interest, and a vast array of phenolic principles, including flavonoids, isoflavonoids, phenolic acids, as well as other minor phenolics and phytoalexins have been characterized. the contribution of these valued metabolites to the biological potential and health outcomes of pea has also been recently approached. therefore, this review provides a critical overview of the current phytopharmacological knowledge regarding the phenolic profile of pea, highlighting the current gaps and future research perspectives, in order to best appreciate its beneficial consumption and possible contribution to the pharmaceutical field.