A Comprehensive Review on Key Chemical Constituents of Indian Pulses and Their Multifaceted Health Benefits in a Global Context

Pulses are edible seeds of legume plants, but they are distinct from legumes because they are dried seeds before consumption. Because of their economic value and high nutritional content, pulses are integral to diets worldwide. Various pulses such as Macrotyloma uniflorum (horse gram), Glycine max (soybeans), Pisum sativum (field peas), Lens esculenta (lentils), Vigna mungo (black gram), Vigna unguiculata (cowpeas), Vigna angularis (adzuki beans), Vigna radiata (green gram), Vicia faba (broad beans), Phaseolus sp. (common beans), Cajanus cajan L . (pigeon peas), and Lathyrus sativus (Lathyrus) are grown extensively worldwide. Pulses also contain various bioactive compounds such as polyphenols and phytosterols, which possess various pharmacological properties. These pharmacologically active chemical constituents have attained remarkable attention in the prevention and management of chronic diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and obesity. These compounds also have prebiotic, anti‐inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. The present study focuses on current information on pharmacologically active chemical constituents such as polyphenols, phytosterols, resistant starch, and oligosaccharides obtained from pulses. This article also focuses on the multifaceted biological roles and health implications of Indian pulses and their industrial usage. The pulses are a source of natural antioxidant, anti‐inflammatory, anticancer, antidiabetic, and antimicrobial constituents. The biochemical potential of these pulses, along with future perspectives, is discussed in greater detail in this review.