This review aims to update recent progress in processing induced molecular structure changes in the association of physicochemical structure properties with nutritional metabolism in cool-season faba bean (Vicia L.), which was revealed using advanced vibrational molecular spectroscopy in combination with chemometrics and advanced nutrient modeling techniques. The review focused on strategies to improve the utilization of the cool-season faba bean through heat-related technological treatments and the relationship of the processing induced molecular structural changes to nutrient delivery and metabolism in ruminant systems. The updated methods with truly absorption nutrient modeling techniques and advanced vibrational molecular spectroscopy techniques sourced by globar and synchrotron radiation (e.g. NIR, near Infrared, FTIR, Fourier transform infrared, DRIFT, diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform, ATR-FTIR, attenuated total reflectance-FTIR, FTIRM, FTIR micro-spectroscopy, SR-FTIRM, synchrotron radiation- FTIRM) to study cool-season faba bean were reviewed. This article provides an insight and a new approach on how to combine advanced nutrient modeling techniques with cutting-edge vibrational molecular spectroscopic techniques to study the processing induced molecular structure change in relation to molecular nutrition of cool-season Vicia faba as well as the interaction between molecular structure and molecular nutrition.
Keywords: Technological processing; cool-season Vicia faba; modeling; molecular structure; nutrient metabolism; vibrational spectroscopy.