Nutritional and Pharmacological Potentials of Orphan Legumes: Family Faboideae

Orphan or underutilized legumes are domesticated legumes that have valuable properties but are less significant than main legumes due to use and supply restrictions. Compared to other major legumes, they are better suited to harsh soil and climate conditions, and their great tolerance to abiotic environmental circumstances like drought can help to lessen the strains brought on by climate change. Orphan legumes are a major food crop in many developing nations. However, their significance in international markets is relatively minimal, economically. They are grown mainly by local farmers to offer their families the best dietary benefits and are used as livestock feed and in other agricultural applications, to generate revenue for farmers with limited resources. Many underutilized legumes have a lot of untapped potential in terms of their nutritive qualities and remarkably high protein content. Apart from their nutritional values, they also contain some anti-nutrient factors that exhibit some pharmacological activities. Orphan legumes belong to the family Fabaceae, which consists of three subfamilies, namely, Caesalpinioideae DC., Mimosoideae DC., and Faboideae DC. This review highlights the medicinal and nutritional benefits of orphan legumes from the subfamily Faboideae.