Abstract Brazil is the world's largest producer of common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), which are one of the most widely consumed grain legumes in the world. Seven improved genotypes of dry, coloured, Brazilian common beans were analysed for their nutritional (chemical composition, oligosaccharides, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity) and protein quality (amino acid profile, amino acid score, trypsin inhibitor activity and in vitro protein digestibility). The grain bean cultivars studied showed a high content of fibre, with some aromatic amino acids present at higher levels than the Food and Agriculture Organization reference protein. The dry beans had intermediate protein digestibility, ranging from 50.3% in the BRS Notável cultivar to 66.9% in... |