Roma Blaise G.

Flores 2B1
2nd Semester, Finals period CIP

MICROBIOLOGY
Mung Bean
Scientific name: Vigna radiata
Family: Fabaceae
Common name: Green gram, maash, or moong

Mung bean (Vigna radiata) is one of the many leguminous crops that are integrated into
the Northern Luzon farming industry. (PCARRD, 2010). This warm-season legume crop grows
fast and mainly cultivated in East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Indian subcontinent but also found in
dry regions within southern Europe and the United States. (Lee et al., 2014). Mung bean is a good
source of protein, fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients. (Levy, 2019). They also provide minerals
such as sodium and calcium. The dried mung bean contains vitamins A & B while sprouted mung
bean is rich in vitamins B & C.

In the Philippines, it is used as an ingredient in cooking different savory dishes. Known for
its health benefits, it is the main ingredient in cooking monggó, a tasty stew of whole mung beans
mixed with prawns or fish. This dish is famous during the Lenten period and served on Fridays of
Lent to be part of the traditional abstinence from meat during this season. Mung beans are also
used as filling in pastries such as hopia and cooked with noodles and vegetables.

Since Mung bean is a good source of protein, it requires a lot of nitrogen to make it. 78%
of the atmosphere is nitrogen but the crop can’t absorb it like how they used carbon dioxide. They
need nitrogen in soluble form, that is why formation of a symbiotic relationship with a bacterium
called Rhizobium is made. It is a gram-negative, motile soil rod-shaped bacterium which
symbiotically interact with legumes by forming nodules on the surface of the root. From the
nodules, it is where the nitrogen fixation takes place. (Ghatage et al., 2016). Through this
symbiotic nitrogen fixation, a mutualistic interaction both the crop and the bacteria are observed.

Therefore, having that relationship promotes a more environmental-friendly way to fertilize

the crops. In exchange, while the plant obtains the ammonia from the Rhizobia bacteria, the
bacteria can absorb carbon compounds for photosynthesis and have a shelter to grow.
Roma Blaise G. Flores 2B1
2nd Semester, Finals period CIP

References

Ghatage, A., Pandey, R., Nawani, N., Khetmalas, M.(2017). Transposon Induced Nitrogenase in
Rhizobium japonicum Infecting Vigna radiata. J Biotechnol Biomater 7:252.
doi:10.4172/2155-952X.1000252

Lee et al.,. (2014). Genome sequence of mungbean and insights into evolution within Vigna
species. Department of Plant Science and Research Institute for Agriculture and Life
Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-921, Korea, Natural Communications,
Vol. 5, article number 5443

Levy, J. (2019). Mung Beans Nutrition and Its Big Benefits. Retrieved from:
https://draxe.com/mung-beans-nutrition/

PCARRF. (2010). Promising lines of legume crops for Ilocos [Philippines]. Retrieved from:
http://agris.fao.org/agris-search/search.do?recordID=PH2011000232