A Review of the Treatments to Reduce Anti-Nutritional Factors and Fluidized Bed Drying of Pulses

Abstract

Pulses, rich in proteins, dietary fibers, and essential nutrients, play an important role in human nutrition, especially as alternatives to animal proteins. However, the presence of anti-nutritional factors (ANFs), such as trypsin inhibitors, chymotrypsin inhibitors, phytic acid, and tannins, can hinder nutrient absorption, reduce protein digestibility, and impair the overall nutritional value of these foods (pulses). This literature review critically examines fluidized bed drying (FBD) as a promising method for processing pulses, with a focus on the effectiveness of FBD in reducing ANFs while preserving protein quality. The review highlights the impact of FBD on the quality and nutritional properties of pulses, discussing the effect of FBD on different kind of ANFs. Although FBD shows significant potential in reducing certain enzyme inhibitors, it has limitations in removing thermally stable ANFs, such as phytic acid. Furthermore, the review explores energy and exergy efficiencies in FBD systems, emphasizing the need for advanced technologies such as air recycle systems to enhance sustainability. This review identifies significant gaps in existing research, particularly in optimizing FBD methods for the effective removal of ANFs and in developing energy-efficient processing strategies.