Dietary Fiber Content in Dry Bean Cultivars.

Dry edible beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are known to be an excellent source of dietary fiber. Seed from cultivars of common dry bean (phaseolus vulgaris L.) were obtained through the Common Bean Coordinated Agricultural Project (Bean CAP). Dietary fiber content (DFC) varied from approximately 17 to 24% (SE ± 0.7%) among entries and varied among races of bean and location where they were grown. Oligosaccharide content also varied from 2.9 to 4.2 % among cultivars. These results suggest that the genetic diversity exists among dry bean cultivars and may be related to domestication events and the environment in which the seed was grown. Furthermore, the levels of genetic diversity seen in these results suggest that plant breeders should be able to modify fiber content by selection.