| dc.description.abstract | Edible pulse seeds are good sources of food ingredients. Germination has been regarded as an effective process to further improve nutrient digestibility and accessibility of pulse seeds. Our aim was to observe the effect of germination on proximate composition, physicochemical attributes, and phenolic profiles of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Merr.), and yellow pea (Pisum sativum L.). In addition, mechanisms of how germination affects the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds were proposed.
Chemical composition, thermal, pasting, and moisture adsorption properties of pulse flours were investigated over 6 days of germination. Protein contents increased by 3 percent points for all pulses over germination. However, lentil had the highest protein content. Lipid contents decreased over germination with chickpea having the greatest decline, from 8.00 to 5.90 g/100g (d.b.). Total starch decreased in lentil and yellow pea during germination. Thermal properties of pulse flours changed slightly, while pasting properties varied among pulses. The highest final viscosities for chickpea, lentil, and yellow pea flours were 1061, 981, and 1052 cP and were observed after 2, 1, and 0 days of germination, respectively. Moisture adsorption isotherms showed improved water adsorption capabilities after germination.
Soluble free (SFPs) and polar soluble bound phenolic compounds (PSBPs) were extracted from germinated pulse seeds. Their antioxidant activities were evaluated using both the in vitro system and stripped soybean oil (SSO)-in-water emulsions. Liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and size-exclusion chromatography with multiangle-light-scattering and refractive-index detection were employed to analyze the phenolic composition and molar mass, respectively. Antioxidant activities of SFPs increased in both in vitro and SSO-in-water emulsion system, however, much lower than those of PSBPs based on SSO-in-water emulsion system. The effect of germination on PSBPs in SSO-in-water emulsion varied between pulses. By virtue of chemometric analysis, nine phenolic compounds were speculated as the pivotal phenolic compounds responsible for the antioxidant activity of PSBPs. In particular, the molar masses of PSBPs had a positive relationship with their antioxidant activity. Protective and co-antioxidative principles were proposed as reasons for the variability of antioxidant activities of PSBPs in oil-in-water emulsions with germination. | en_US |
