Chickpea nutrients and peptides for health
What it found
Chickpeas are a rich source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals, and peptides made from their protein have shown antioxidant, blood pressure, blood sugar and other effects in lab and animal studies.
Human trials are still needed.
What they found
Animal and lab studies
Bioactive compounds
Chickpeas contain flavonoids and polyphenols, with darker varieties having higher amounts. These compounds act as antioxidants in lab tests.
Antioxidant activity
Peptides from chickpea protein showed antioxidant activity in lab tests, with some fractions more active than others. Activity depended on amino acid sequence and size.
Blood pressure
Chickpea protein hydrolysate inhibited angiotensin I-converting enzyme in lab tests, with one papain-produced sample showing strong activity. Animal and human studies are needed to confirm effects.
Cancer in animals
In mice, chickpea albumin hydrolysate reduced tumor numbers, but another hydrolysate did not reduce aberrant crypts. Human studies are still required.
Cholesterol in animals
In mice and rats fed high-fat diets, chickpea hydrolysate or peptides increased HDL cholesterol and lowered triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.
Studies in people and animals
Blood sugar and diabetes
In diabetic rats, chickpea seeds reduced triglyceride and glucose levels. In lab tests, certain chickpea peptides inhibited enzymes linked to type 2 diabetes.
Other findings
Protein and fiber
Chickpea protein content ranges from 15 to 30%, and the Kabuli type has lower protein than the desi type in some studies. Total dietary fiber is 18 to 22%, the highest among pulses.
Vitamins and minerals
Chickpeas are a good source of folate, with 42 to 537 micrograms per 100 grams, and contain minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium and potassium. Cooking reduces some vitamins.
What the authors conclude
“Chickpea provide potential health benefits and lowering the development and progression of numerous chronic diseases (CVD, type-2 diabetes, etc.).”
Also in their conclusions
- They say chickpea consumption provides basic nutrition and may lower the development and progression of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
- They advise that human studies are still required to confirm the biological activity of chickpea peptides in people.
- They call for more research to understand how chickpea peptides work in disease prevention and to optimize their production.
How it was done
The authors say chickpeas have nutritional value and may help manage various diseases, but publications on their nutritional components and bioactive peptides are limited.
They reviewed published studies on chickpea composition and on peptides and hydrolysates made from chickpea protein, including how these are produced and their reported health effects.
What it can’t tell you
- Many of the health effects come from lab tests or animal studies, so they cannot show what happens in people.
- The exact sequences of most chickpea peptides are unknown, so how they interact in the body is not clear.
- Human trials are needed to confirm whether the effects seen in animals apply to people.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
- Authors work at
- Foshan University, China; South China University of Technology, China; Fudan University, China
The paper
- Title
- Nutritional composition, health benefits and bio-active compounds of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.)
- Type
- ReviewThe authors read earlier studies and describe what they found. It isn’t a new study.
- Evidence
- Studies in people · animals · lab
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Cite
- Begum N, Khan QU, Liu LG, Li W, Liu D, Haq IU (2023). Nutritional composition, health benefits and bio-active compounds of chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.). Frontiers in nutrition. doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1218468Free full textPubMed 37854353DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error