Physical pre-treatments as a tool for enhancing nutritional functionality of germinated legumes

Abstract

Physical treatments applied prior to germination were reported to influence the functionality of different seeds. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of pulsed light (43.2 J/cm2), stationary magnetic field (50mT, 1h), and ultrasounds (130W/38 kHz, 15 min), pre-germination treatments on the functionality of different pulses, such as green lentils, chickpeas and broad beans. The ultrasounds and magnetic field pre-treated pulses exhibited similar antioxidant activity after germination, while pulsed light was the most efficient in increasing the content of total phenols. Regardless of the applied pre-treatment, chickpea germination resulted in increased vitamin B1 content. Although vitamin C was not quantified in raw seeds, important amounts were detected in germinated lentils and pulsed light treated broad beans. Protein digestibility was also influenced by the applied treatments before germination. The most advanced protein digestibility was registered for pulsed light treated samples. Overall, the pulsed light treatment was the most efficient in enhancing the nutritional functionality of legumes.