Germination in Optimal Conditions as Effective Strategy to Improve Nutritional and Nutraceutical Value of Underutilized Mexican Blue Maize Seeds

Andean Crops Germination: Changes in the Nutritional Profile, Physical and Sensory Characteristics. A Review

Andean crops such as quinoa, amaranth, cañihua, beans, maize, and tarwi have gained interest in recent years for being gluten-free and their high nutritional values; they have high protein content with a well-balanced essential amino acids profile, minerals, vitamins, dietary fiber, and antioxidant compounds. During the germination bioprocess, the seed metabolism is reactivated resulting in the catabolism and degradation of macronutrients and some anti-nutritional compounds. Therefore, germination is frequently used to improve nutritional quality, protein digestibility, and availability of certain minerals and vitamins; furthermore, in specific cases, biosynthesis of new bioactive compounds could occur through the activation of secondary metabolic pathways. These changes could alter the technological and sensory properties, such as the hardness, consistency and viscosity of the formulations prepared with them. In addition, the flavor profile may undergo improvement or alteration, a critical factor to consider when integrating sprouted grains into food formulations. This review summarizes recent research on the nutritional, technological, functional, and sensory changes occur during the germination of Andean grains and analyze their potential applications in various food products.

γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA)-enriched Hemp Milk by Solid-state Co-fermentation and Germination Bioprocesses

This study introduces the concept of developing a functional hemp drink enriched with γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) to enhance its nutritional value and functional properties utilizing Solid-State (SSF) co-Fermentation by Lactobacillus casei and Bacillus subtilis and germination bioprocesses. Bioprocesses may offer an alternative solution to challenges in hemp milk, such as product instability and the use of additives. Notably, the hemp milk produced through the germination for three days or co-fermentation processes yielded the highest GABA content of 79.84 and 102.45 mg/100 mL, respectively, compared to the untreated milk. These bioactive milk samples exhibited higher zeta potential and soluble protein content and also reduced solid particle sedimentation and droplet sizes (D4,3 and D3,2) compared to the untreated milk. Furthermore, the peptide, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activity of the produced GABA-enriched kinds of milk surpassed those of the untreated milk. Overall, the SSF and germination processes present a promising alternative for producing stable milk analogs with enhanced health-boosting properties.

Technological and health properties and main challenges in the production of vegetable beverages and dairy analogs

Lactose intolerance affects about 68-70% of the world population and bovine whey protein is associated with allergic reactions, especially in children. Furthermore, many people do not consume dairy-based foods due to the presence of cholesterol and ethical, philosophical and environmental factors, lifestyle choices, and social and religious beliefs. In this context, the market for beverages based on pulses, oilseeds, cereals, pseudocereals and seeds and products that mimic dairy foods showed a significant increase over the years. However, there are still many sensory, nutritional, and technological limitations regarding producing and consuming these products. Thus, to overcome these negative aspects, relatively simple technologies such as germination and fermentation, the addition of ingredients/nutrients and emerging technologies such as ultra-high pressure, pulsed electric field, microwave and ultrasound can be used to improve the product quality. Moreover, consuming plant-based beverages is linked to health benefits, including antioxidant properties and support in the prevention and treatment of disorders and common diseases like hypertension, diabetes, anxiety, and depression. Thus, vegetable-based beverages and their derivatives are viable alternatives and low-cost for replacing dairy foods in most cases.

A New Advancement in Germination Biotechnology of Purple Creole Corn: Bioactive Compounds and In Situ Enzyme Activity for Water-Soluble Extract and Pan Bread

Germination is a simple and cost-effective technology that enhances the technological, sensory, and nutritional potential of grains, making them more attractive for use in the food industry. Germinating indigenous seeds is an alternative to increase noticeability and add value to these grains, which hold social and economic significance in the regions where they are cultivated, such as creole purple pericarp corn (PPCC) from the Couto Magalhães de Minas region in Brazil. This study aimed to optimize the germination parameters of time (24-96 h) and temperature (18-32 °C) for PPCC to produce water-soluble extracts and bread. Endogenous enzymes resulting from the germination process significantly enhanced (p < 0.10) the technological (total reducing sugars, total soluble solids, and soluble proteins) and biological properties (γ-aminobutyric acid, total soluble phenolic compounds, and antioxidant capacity) of the water-soluble extracts. The optimum point for obtaining the extracts was found to be at 85.3 h at 30.46 °C (with desirability of 90.42%), and this was statistically validated. The incorporation of germinated PPCC flours into bread was also promising (p < 0.10) and had a positive impact on the dough property (dough volume increase) and the final product, especially in terms of instrumental texture (springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, chewiness, and resilience), resulting in a softer texture (lower firmness and hardness). The addition of PPCC flours did not alter instrumental color parameters, which may lead to greater consumer acceptance due to imperceptible differences in color to untrained individuals, with the optimized point at 96 h at 29.34 °C, with a desirability of 92.60%. Therefore, germinated PPCC shows promise for use as a base for obtaining water-soluble extracts and in bread as a replacement for commercial flour improvers, while also adding value to a raw material that is part of the local culture and agrobiodiversity.

The Use of Sprouts to Improve the Nutritional Value of Food Products: A Brief Review

Sprouts are vegetable foods rich in phytonutrients, such as glucosinolates, phenolics, and isoflavones. Many studies have shown that sprouts also have high concentrations of vitamins and minerals. In addition to the high concentration of nutrients, sprouts can present a reduction of anti-nutritional factors such as phytates, tannins, and oxalates, which increases the bioaccessibility of minerals. However, their nutritional composition depends on several factors, such as the type of sprout and the germination conditions. In recent years, these foods have been highly demanded because they are associated to many health benefits. Moreover, germination is an easy and fast process, and does not depend on specific climatic conditions (potentially more sustainable to growth). The use of sprouts for the elaboration of food products can be a good strategy to increase the nutritional value of certain products that are widely consumed worldwide. In this sense, studies that evaluated the impact of adding sprouted grains on the nutritional value of some products, as well as the effect on their sensory properties were searched in the scientific literature. Most of them used germinated grain flours to replace wheat flour in food products. The satisfactory results of these products were associated with the type of sprout used and with the level of replacement of the wheat flour. This review briefly explored the nutritional benefits and the sensory acceptance of food products made with added sprouts.

Enhancement of Digestibility of Nutrients (In vitro), Antioxidant Potential and Functional Attributes of Wheat Flour Through Grain Germination

Wheat grains were germinated at different time (12, 24, 36, and 48 h) and temperature (25, 30, and 35°C) to enhance the functionality of resultant flour. Results revealed that an increase in germination time and temperature enhanced the in vitro digestibility of starch (10.35-42.30 %) and proteins (6.31-44.02 %) owing to their depolymerization by hydrolytic enzymes. Total phenolic and flavonoid content of wheat during germination at variable conditions were enhanced significantly (p < 0.05) from 3.62 to 5.54 mg GAE/g and 32.06 to 54.33 mg QE/100 g, respectively. Germination at elevated temperature (35°C) for a prolonged time (48 h) increased the DPPH RSA by 58.85 %, reducing power by 80.40 % and metal chelating activity by 112.26 % as a result of the structural breakdown of bound phenolics. Increased activity of hydrolytic enzymes also results in a continuous reduction in the viscosity and lightness values of wheat flour. Tailored germination, therefore, can be offered as a tool to increase the nutrient digestibility and bioactive potential of wheat thus resulting in producing the naturally modified flour with enhanced functionality.

Sprouted Barley Flour as a Nutritious and Functional Ingredient

The increasing demand for healthy food products has promoted the use of germinated seeds to produce functional flours. In this study, germination conditions were optimized in barley grains with the aim to produce flours with high nutritional and biofunctional potential using response surface methodology (RSM). The impact of germination time (0.8-6 days) and temperature (12-20 °C) on barley quality was studied. Non-germinated barley was used as the control. The content of vitamins B1, B2 and C, and proteins increased notably after germination, especially at longer times, while levels of fat, carbohydrates, fibre, and b-glucan were reduced. Total phenolic compounds, g-aminobutyric acid and antioxidant activity determined by Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity increased between 2-fold and 4-fold during sprouting, depending on germination conditions and this increase was more pronounced at higher temperatures (16-20 °C) and longer times (5-6 days). Procyanidin B and ferulic acid were the main phenolics in the soluble and insoluble fraction, respectively. Procyanidin B levels decreased while bound ferulic acid content increased during germination. Germinated barley flours exhibited lower brightness and a higher glycemic index than the control ones. This study shows that germination at 16 °C for 3.5 days was the optimum process to obtain nutritious and functional barley flours. Under these conditions, sprouts retained 87% of the initial b-glucan content, and exhibited levels of ascorbic acid, riboflavin, phenolic compounds and GABA between 1.4-fold and 2.5-fold higher than the non-sprouted grain.