Abstract
Current research on nutritional science focuses on the development of holistic, functionally active food matrices fortified with bioactive compounds to address chronic diseases. This review evaluates the scopes of
Vigna umbellata
(rice bean), an underutilized, climate‐resilient legume as a reservoir of bioactive compounds and next‐generation probiotics.
V. umbellata
is rich in resistant starch and nondigestible oligosaccharides, capable to function as a sustainable, nondairy carrier for symbiotic delivery. This research centers on the seed endophytes and their versatile mechanism of tolerance; which confer resistance against an array of hostile environments. Furthermore, the “biological refinery” of fermentation is discussed, facilitated by a simultaneous subtractive and additive process that not only removes antinutritional factors like phytic acid, but also enriches the food matrix. This paper also integrates metagenomic characterization with genome mapping that provides a framework for the valorization of
V. umbellata
in the global functional food landscape.