Bioactive Peptides and Prebiotics Discovered in Chickpea and Bean Cooking Water (Aquafaba)

Aquafaba (the cooking water from chickpeas and beans) contains dozens of bioactive peptides and oligosaccharides. Using advanced mass spectrometry, the researchers identified 78 oligosaccharides in chickpea aquafaba and 67 in common bean aquafaba. They also discovered several γ-glutamyl peptides with known anti-inflammatory and flavor-enhancing (kokumi) properties, including γ-Glu-Phe and γ-Glu-Tyr in chickpea aquafaba, and γ-Glu-S-methyl-Cys and γ-Glu-Leu in bean aquafaba. The oligosaccharides also showed prebiotic activity, promoting the growth of beneficial gut bacteria.

The researchers analyzed chickpea and common bean aquafaba using high-performance anion-exchange chromatography to quantify known oligosaccharides, and LC-MS/MS (liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry) to identify additional compounds. They used dimethyl labeling to distinguish between α- and γ-glutamyl peptides. Prebiotic activity was tested by measuring whether the oligosaccharides could promote growth of three probiotic bacterial strains in culture.

Aquafaba is typically discarded as a cooking byproduct but has gained popularity as an egg substitute in vegan cooking. This study reveals it also contains bioactive peptides and prebiotics that could have health benefits. Finding anti-inflammatory peptides and gut-friendly sugars in a food waste product aligns with food sustainability goals and could support health claims for legume-based foods.

Food-derived bioactive peptides are a growing area of research, bridging nutrition science and peptide therapeutics. This study fits into a broader trend of discovering health-relevant peptides in common foods — from collagen peptides in bone broth to antihypertensive peptides in fermented dairy. Identifying bioactive peptides in a food waste product adds a sustainability dimension to the field.

This is a laboratory analytical study — the bioactive properties of the identified peptides are inferred from the existing literature rather than directly tested in this study. The prebiotic effects were demonstrated only in bacterial growth assays, not in human or animal gut models. Concentrations of bioactive compounds in aquafaba may vary depending on cooking methods, bean variety, and water ratios.