Mung bean belongs to the Family Faboideae , Subfamily Faboideae , Genus Vigna and Species Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek. The Vigna species grow in warm temperate and tropical regions globally. Vigna is most closely related to Phaseolus, hence Asia Vigna (sub¬genus Ceratotropis) was treated as Phaseolus until 1970. Mungbean (Vigna radiata) cultivation spread to all hot and warm Asian countries in ancient times, hence considerable diversification is recog¬nized. Mung bean belonging to the subgenus Ceratotropis is a diploid species with 2n = 2x = 22 chromosomes. The mung bean is commonly named as Mung bean, mung bean, moong bean, mash, golden gram, moong, Chickasaw, Oregon pea, and chop suey bean, chickasano pea, chiroko or simply mung, celera bean, Jerusalem pea and green gram. These species encompass small herbs to large tropical canopy trees and grow well in the humid tropics, temperate zones, high land, low land and arid zones. This legumes have a strategic position in Southeast Asian countries for nutritional security and sustainable crop production. Originating in India as early as 1500 BCE, the mung bean has historically been grown in warmer climates, able to thrive in tropical areas with little rainfall, though ideally a rainy season plant. There is also evidence that the green gram spread to China and Southeast Asia as early as 3000 years ago, known there as nga choi. Having been harvested in regions where many European powers had colonial outposts, green gram was likely exported to Europe for consumption. Worldwide, this crop is of minor importance with restricted geographical distribution, and has cautiously been subjected to detailed and intensive genetic and cytogenetic investigations. The dried grains of mung bean can be split or eaten whole after cooking and made into a soup or dhal. The iron availability in mung bean improves substantially to 7.2–11.3% through cooking practices such as soaking, fermenting and sprouting. Mung bean is also widely relished as sprouts. The germinated grains have higher nutritional value as compared with asparagus or mushroom. Green pods and seeds can be cooked as vegetables. These pulses are frequently fed to children, convalescents and geriatrics or used when “breaking” a long fasting period owing to their ease of digestibility. The haulms are used for fodder and the beans husks and small broken pieces are useful as a feed concentrate. The crops are also grown for hay, green manure and cover crop. Mung bean makes better hay than urad bean as the stems and leaves are less hairy. One hundred gram dry mung bean contains: protein 22 g and carbohydrate 60 g. It is a good source of minerals, provitamin A and vitamin B-complex. The seeds are aphrodisiac, tonic, appetiser, diuretic, good for heart and fatigue and used in paralysis, rheumatism and affections of nervous system. Generally, it is used for its antipyretic, antiscorbutic, diuretic, antidote, antihypertensive and anticancer properties. It has also been recommended for ache, heat, high blood pressure and inflammation. Seeds of this edible legume are used either raw or in cooked form at matured poultice because of its curative potential for polyneuritis. Seeds of mung beans are used to treat alcoholism also. These crops have the ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen (58–109 kg per ha in kg per ha mung bean) in symbiotic association with Rhizobium bacteria, which enables them to meet their own nitrogen requirement and also benefit the succeeding crops. Mung bean production is mainly (90%) situated in Asia: India is the largest producer with more than 50% of world production but consumes almost its entire production. China produces large amounts of mung beans, which represents 19% of its legume production. In this review article on Origin, Domestication, Taxonomy, Botanical Description, Genetics and Cytogenetics, Genetic Diversity, Breeding, Uses, Nutritional Value and Health Benefits of mung bean are discussed.
