Bioscience Evidence 2026, Vol.16, No.4, 202-220 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 212 Lactobacillus reuteri. This effect may be achieved by regulating bacterial quorum sensing, indicating a significant prebiotic effect (Liu et al., 2026). 7.3 Enhancement of intestinal barrier function Several bioactive compounds from mung bean can strengthen the intestinal mechanical barrier. In a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis model, mung bean peptides significantly increased colon length, reduced histological damage and disease activity index, and restored intestinal barrier function by increasing the expression of the tight junction proteins ZO-1 and Claudin-1 in colon tissue. A compound prebiotic extract containing mung bean components improved barrier integrity in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated HT-29 cells. The mechanism involved reducing the mRNA expression of TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-κB, while increasing the expression of the tight junction markers CLDN1 and OCLN. In DSS-induced colitis mice, this extract also increased colon length, reduced intestinal permeability, and decreased the release of inflammatory mediators (Lee et al., 2025). In a chemotherapy-induced intestinal injury model, mung bean ethanol extract effectively reduced intestinal mucosal damage by increasing the expression of key tight junction proteins. This strengthened intestinal barrier integrity and corrected gut microbiota imbalance at the same time (Liu et al., 2026). Studies on dietary polysaccharides have shown that these compounds promote the production of tight junction proteins (Occludin-1 and ZO-1), mucins, beneficial bacteria, and SCFAs. Together, these factors support the mechanical, chemical, immune, and biological functions of the intestinal mucosal barrier. These mechanisms are highly consistent with the effects observed for mung bean polysaccharides and related products (Yan et al., 2024). 7.4 Immunomodulatory activity and mechanisms Mung bean shows complex immunomodulatory effects on both innate and adaptive immunity. Polysaccharides extracted from mung bean seed coat enhanced the phagocytic activity of RAW264.7 macrophages and increased the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), nitric oxide (NO), and cytokines. RNA sequencing and Western blot analysis showed that these polysaccharides activated the TLR4, MAPK, and NF-κB signaling pathways. Inhibitors of these pathways significantly reduced the production of NO and TNF-α, indicating that mung bean seed coat polysaccharides moderately activated macrophages through TLR4-mediated signaling (Qin et al., 2022). In contrast, mung bean protein hydrolysates showed clear anti-inflammatory activity in LPS-stimulated RAW264.7 cells. They reduced the levels of NO, iNOS, IL-6, and IL-1β by about 50% and significantly increased the expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. The main mechanism involved inhibition of IκBα phosphorylation and suppression of NF-κB p65 nuclear translocation (Diao et al., 2019). Animal studies further showed that mung bean peptides alleviated DSS-induced colitis by reducing serum inflammatory cytokines, reshaping the gut microbiota, and regulating immune-related signaling pathways. In a Caenorhabditis elegans model infected with Pseudomonas, mung bean seed coat extract increased host survival and reduced ROS levels. Transcriptomic analysis showed that the extract upregulated the expression of antimicrobial peptides and mitochondria-related genes and regulated signaling pathways including MAPK, daf-2, aak-2, sir-2.1, and skn-1 (Tao et al., 2024). Proteomic analysis of RAW264.7 cells treated with mung bean seed coat extract showed that the extract regulated antiviral enzymes and antigen-processing proteins and activated the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) pathway. These findings suggest that mung bean seed coat extract may promote Th2-type antigen-specific immune responses (Hashiguchi et al., 2017). 8 Effects of Processing on Bioactive Components and Functional Properties 8.1 Germination and sprouting Germination is a simple and low-cost biological treatment that can greatly improve the functional value of mung bean. During germination, the extraction yield, total phenolic content, flavonoid content, vitamin C content, and in
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