Nutritional Potential of the Winged Bean

The winged bean [Psophocarpus tetragonolobus (L) D. C ] has aroused great interest in recent years as an exceptionally prospective legume suitable for meeting protein needs in areas of food scarcity and widespread malnutrition. The primary reason behind the potential of this species stems from its ready adaptability to varying soil and climatic conditions, its extraordinary capacity to fix large amounts of nitrogen and the presence of a variety of edible plant parts with appreciable quantities of dietary proteins in them.