Mung bean protein: Potential functional food for cancer patients

Abstract

Background: Cancer-related malnutrition, cachexia, chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, and immune dysfunction can impair quality of life, physical performance, treatment tolerance, and clinical outcomes. Adequate protein intake is therefore an important component of nutritional care for patients with cancer. Plant proteins are increasingly investigated as functional-food ingredients because they provide essential nutrients together with bioactive peptides and phytochemicals that may influence disease-related pathways. Objective: This review summarizes current evidence on mung bean (Vigna radiata L.) proteins, peptides, and associated bioactive compounds, with emphasis on their potential application in functional foods, medical nutrition, and supportive care for cancer patients. Methods: Relevant literature on the nutritional composition, biological activities, molecular mechanisms, and potential clinical applications of mung bean proteins, peptides, hydrolysates, and phytochemicals was reviewed and synthesized. Results: Mung bean is a cost-effective and highly digestible source of plant protein with relatively low methionine content and abundant bioactive compounds, including peptides, phenolic acids, vitexin, and isovitexin. Experimental studies indicate that mung bean-derived components may exert antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antiproliferative, and gut-microbiota-modulating effects. Reported mechanisms include free-radical scavenging, activation of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 signaling, inhibition of nuclear factor-kappa B activity, modulation of inflammatory mediators, induction of cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis, and promotion of beneficial intestinal microorganisms. Mung bean protein may also support muscle function because of its digestibility and amino-acid profile. However, most anti-cancer evidence is derived from in vitro and animal studies, while direct clinical evidence in cancer populations remains limited. Conclusion: Mung bean proteins and peptides are promising candidates for functional foods and specialized nutritional products for cancer-supportive care. Current evidence mainly supports bioactive identification and mechanistic evaluation. Further clinical studies are required to determine safety, effective dosage, bioavailability, treatment interactions, and effects on nutritional status, muscle function, quality of life, and treatment-related outcomes. Novelty of the Study: This review uniquely integrates the nutritional value of mung bean protein with the biological activities of its peptides and associated phytochemicals within a cancer-supportive nutrition framework. It highlights the combined potential of mung bean to support protein intake, muscle maintenance, oxidative balance, inflammatory regulation, immune function, and gut-microbiota health, while identifying the gap between mechanistic evidence and clinical validation. Keywords: Mung bean; Vigna radiata L.; plant protein; bioactive peptides; functional food; cancer nutrition; medical nutrition; oxidative stress; inflammation; gut microbiota