Landraces can be resources for the sustainable development of mountain areas: the case of Copafam bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.)

Nowadays, about 80% of global agrobiodiversity has been lost since the last century (FAO 2004). Italy is rich in agrobiodiversity but many of traditional cultivars (landraces) are little or not at all scientifically characterized. Landraces are mainly found in hilly and sub-mountain areas (150–800 m a.s.l.) and among the most numerous families there are Fabaceae, together with Poaceae and Solanaceae, able to grow in a wide altitudinal range (from sea level to over 1000 m a.s.l.) (Giupponi et al. 2021). The “Copafam” is a variety of runner scarlet bean (Phaseolus coccineus L.) that can be grown only in the mountains. This landrace has a historical importance for italian mountain marginal areas, and it is now at risk of extinction because of depopulation and abandonment of mountain areas. The main objective of this work was the characterization and enhancement of “Copafam” bean in order to evaluate its possible input as a raw material in the agro-food industries for the creation of innovative and functional products. For this purpose, the nutritional and phytochemical characteristics of the “Copafam” bean was explored. Three commercial beans were used as a comparison. Moreover, the sensory properties and consumers’ hedonic ratings in a model food formulation (biscuits) made by this landrace was assessed using a citizen science approach. The results show that the “Copafam” bean had a high dietary fiber and protein content (34.83 ± 2.48 g/100 g dw and 21.93 ± 0.41 g/100 g dw) and it resulted in a great source of secondary metabolites as polyphenols (121.36 ± 5.31 mg GAE/g dw), flavonoids (6.51 ± 0.17 mg/kg dw), and anthocyanins (28.11 ± 0.16 mg Cy3 G/kg dw), having remarkable antioxidant activity too (76.42 ± 1.27 %). Specifically, all the beans examined in this study contain similar hydroxycinnamic acid derivatives as their main phenolic component .The samples of P. coccineus contained a higher sinapic acid while P.vulgaris samples were abundantly composed of ferulic and p-cumaric acid. Furthermore, "Copafam" had the lowest phytic acid content and minor trypsin inhibitory activity (Pedrali et al. 2022). Biscuits made from “Copafam” flour were considered acceptable by consumers and were characterized by a darker colour, crunchy texture and an uneven appearance compared to the control, probably due to the punctuation detected on the surface of the samples. The high amount of functional molecules found in "Copafam" beans could represent innovative forms of consumption such as fortified foods to enhance agricultural products for human health. This research showed that landraces can represent a great resource for an innovative food industry aiming to preserve agrobiodiversity and promote the sustainable development of mountain areas.