Laboratory Experiments Illustrating Evaluation of Raffinose Family Oligosaccharides of Mung Bean ( Phaseolus aureus L.) Cultivars

The two different laboratory experiments illustrate the evaluation of raffinose family oligosaccharides for the graduate and post graduate students. The thin layer chromatography (TLC) method is the simple and inexpensive method, while high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) is the most precise and sensitive technique, useful for the both graduate and post graduate students. Raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) are important constituents of a wide variety of grain legumes and are thought to be the major producers of flatulence. Recent researches showed their beneficial effects also. Mung bean ( Phaseolus aureus L.) is the principal crop from which edible bean sprouts, noodles and weaning foods are prepared. Two mung bean cultivars analyzed for oligosaccharide content by two different methods; TLC and HPLC, results were compared and discussed. These experiments are mainly intended for the students of plant biochemistry and nutrition.