This study compared the antioxidant and mineral properties of the leaves and seeds of fifteen Korean adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) breeding lines. This study was conducted in an attempt to expand the use of Korean adzuki bean leaves. The potassium, calcium, magnesium, and sodium contents of the leaves were significantly higher than the seeds, in particularly, the potassium content. The leaves had approximately 3.3 times higher potassium content than the seeds. For instance, the potassium content of YA1317 leaves was 21% higher than that of Arari. The total polyphenol content and ABTS activity of Adzuki bean leaves were significantly higher than the seeds, as opposed to the total flavonoid content and DPPH scavenging activity. Among the 15 breeding lines, YA1402 had 1.2~3.2 times higher antioxidant content and activity as compared to the Arari variety. It was concluded that adzuki bean leaves had higher mineral content, antioxidant component and activity as compared to the seeds. Therefore, adzuki bean leaves could be used an ingredient for dishes and as a medicine.

The adzuki bean (Vigna angularis L.) is a red-grained legume that has a number of essential nutrients and is used in traditional dishes in Asia. Adzuki bean industrial by-products are also a potential low-cost source of some unique bioactive polyphenols. Hence, here, the authors aimed to perform a comparative study of the phytochemical profiles of the leaves and seeds of the adzuki bean and compare their antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibition, and tyrosinase inhibition activity. The authors assessed antioxidant activity by DPPH, ABTS, FRAP, PR, TPC, and SOD assays, which showed wide variation, respectively. From the relative antioxidant capacity index results, 10 adzuki bean landraces were selected to compare for phytochemicals and bioactivity using leaf and seed extracts. Antioxidant, α-glucosidase inhibition, and tyrosinase inhibition activity in the leaf extracts were higher than in the seed extracts, and there were more flavonols and isoflavones in the leaf extracts than in the seed extracts. This study demonstrated that adzuki bean leaf extracts could be a new natural antioxidant or antidiabetic agent and a skin whitener and can also be used in industrial applications.