Storage substances of legumes are characterized by giving their chemical composition and biological properties. Except starch, protein and fat characteristics, special attention has been paid to storage non-nutrients of seeds such as: phytins and oligosaccharides while indicating their positive and negative effects. Species of popular seed crop have been taken into account (pea, bean, faba bean) as well as those worth spreading (lentil and everlasting pea) in Poland.
The mechanism of lipid formation in seeds is reviewed. Seed lipids are ultimately derived from simple carbon compounds such as sucrose, which are imported into seeds from source tissues, such as leaves or pods. Lipids are synthesized from fatty acids derived from acetyl-CoA and glycerol 3-phosphate. Fatty acid biosynthesis and acetyl-CoA formation occurs within the plastids to produce oleoyl-CoA. Further elaboration of oleoyl-CoA to produce polyunsaturates, hydroxylates or long chain acyl-CoAs occurs on the endoplasmic reticulum, as does the esterification of acylCoAs to glycerol-3-phosphate to produce the final triacylglycerols-storage lipids.