Indian pulses: A review on nutritional, functional and biochemical properties with future perspectives

Image processing and impact analyses of terminal heat stress on yield of lentil

Abiotic factors, including heat stress, significantly impact the growth and development of lentil across the globe. Although these stresses impact the plant's phenotypic, genotypic, metabolic, and yield development, predicting those traits in lentil is challenging. This study aimed to construct a machine learning-based yield prediction model for lentil using various yield attributes under two different sowing conditions. Twelve genotypes were planted in open-field conditions, and images were captured 45 days after sowing (DAS) and 60 DAS to make predictions for agro-morphological traits with the assessment for the influence of high-temperature stress on lentil growth. Greening techniques like Excess Green, Modified Excess Green (ME × G), and Color Index of Plant Extraction (CIVE) were used to extract 35 vegetative indices from the crop image. Random forest (RF) regression and artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed for both the normal-sown and late-sown lentils. The ME × G-CIVE method with Otsu's thresholding provided superior performance in image segmentation, while the RF model showed the highest level of model generalization. This study demonstrated that yield per plant and number of pods per plant were the most significant attributes for early prediction of lentil production in both conditions using the RF models. After harvesting, various yield parameters of the selected genotypes were measured, showing significant reductions in most traits for the late-sown plants. Heat-tolerant genotypes like RLG-05, Kota Masoor-1, and Kota Masoor-2 depicted decreased yield and harvest index (HI) reduction than the heat-sensitive HUL-57. These findings warrant further study to correlate the data with more stress-modulating attributes.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13205-024-04031-5.

Exploring protein structural adaptations and polyphenol interactions: Influences on digestibility in pigeon pea dal and whole grains under heat and germination conditions

Pigeon pea, a protein-rich legume with low protein digestibility (PD) due to its high polyphenol content and other antinutritional factors (ANFs). Consequently, processing methods are crucial to improve PD. We investigated the effects of thermal treatments (cooking, hydrothermal, autoclaving, infrared rays) treatments and germination on modulation of PD, its properties and association with ANFs in two distinct genotypes based on polyphenol content: high (Pusa Arhar 2018-4) and low (ICP-1452). Treatments improved in vitro PD and essential amino acid content, with autoclaving showing significantly higher PD (ICP-1452: 90.4%, Pusa-Arhar 2018-4: 84.32%) ascribed to disruption of tight protein matrices. Significant increase in β-turn, reduction in protein: starch, protein: polyphenol interactions as well as breakdown of storage proteins revealed by the analysis of protein structural properties. This study suggests thermal treatments, particularly autoclaving, can enhance pigeon pea protein's nutritional quality for its utilization as a new ingredient in development of healthy foods.

Unlocking the nutritional and functional potential of legume waste to produce protein ingredients

Worldwide, many production supply chains generate a considerable amount of legume by-products (e.g., leaves, husks, broken seeds, defatted cakes). These wastes can be revalorized to develop sustainable protein ingredients, with positive economic and environmental effects. To separate protein from legume by-products, a broad spectrum of conventional (e.g., alkaline solubilization, isoelectric precipitation, membrane filtration) and novel methodologies (e.g., ultrasound, high-pressure homogenization, enzymatic approaches) have been studied. In this review, these techniques and their efficiency are discussed in detail. The present paper also provides an overview of the nutritional and functional characteristics of proteins extracted from legume by-products. Moreover, existing challenges and limitations associated with the valorization of by-product proteins are highlighted, and future perspectives are proposed.

Effects of Pea (Pisum sativum) Prebiotics on Intestinal Iron-Related Proteins and Microbial Populations In Vivo (Gallus gallus)

Iron deficiency remains a public health challenge globally. Prebiotics have the potential to improve iron bioavailability by modulating intestinal bacterial population, increasing SCFA production, and stimulating expression of brush border membrane (BBM) iron transport proteins among iron-deficient populations. This study intended to investigate the potential effects of soluble extracts from the cotyledon and seed coat of three pea (Pisum sativum) varieties (CDC Striker, CDC Dakota, and CDC Meadow) on the expression of BBM iron-related proteins (DCYTB and DMT1) and populations of beneficial intestinal bacteria in vivo using the Gallus gallus model by oral gavage (one day old chicks) with 1 mL of 50 mg/mL pea soluble extract solutions. The seed coat treatment groups increased the relative abundance of Bifidobacterium compared to the cotyledon treatment groups, with CDC Dakota seed coat (dark brown pigmented) recording the highest relative abundance of Bifidobacterium. In contrast, CDC Striker Cotyledon (dark-green-pigmented) significantly increased the relative abundance of Lactobacillus (p < 0.05). Subsequently, the two dark-pigmented treatment groups (CDC Striker Cotyledon and CDC Dakota seed coats) recorded the highest expression of DCYTB. Our study suggests that soluble extracts from the pea seed coat and dark-pigmented pea cotyledon may improve iron bioavailability by affecting intestinal bacterial populations.

Extraction, Modification, Biofunctionality, and Food Applications of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) Protein: An Up-to-Date Review

Plant-based proteins have gained popularity in the food industry as a good protein source. Among these, chickpea protein has gained significant attention in recent times due to its high yields, high nutritional content, and health benefits. With an abundance of essential amino acids, particularly lysine, and a highly digestible indispensable amino acid score of 76 (DIAAS), chickpea protein is considered a substitute for animal proteins. However, the application of chickpea protein in food products is limited due to its poor functional properties, such as solubility, water-holding capacity, and emulsifying and gelling properties. To overcome these limitations, various modification methods, including physical, biological, chemical, and a combination of these, have been applied to enhance the functional properties of chickpea protein and expand its applications in healthy food products. Therefore, this review aims to comprehensively examine recent advances in Cicer arietinum (chickpea) protein extraction techniques, characterizing its properties, exploring post-modification strategies, and assessing its diverse applications in the food industry. Moreover, we reviewed the nutritional benefits and sustainability implications, along with addressing regulatory considerations. This review intends to provide insights into maximizing the potential of Cicer arietinum protein in diverse applications while ensuring sustainability and compliance with regulations.

Structural, extraction and safety aspects of novel alternative proteins from different sources

With rapid population growth and continued environmental degradation, it is no longer sustainable to rely on conventional proteins to meet human requirements. This has prompted the search for novel alternative protein sources of greater sustainability. Currently, proteins of non-conventional origin have been developed, with such alternative protein sources including plants, insects, algae, and even bacteria and fungi. Most of these protein sources have a high protein content, along with a balanced amino acid composition, and are regarded as healthy and nutritious sources of protein. While these novel alternative proteins have excellent nutritional, research on their structure are still at a preliminary stage, particularly so for insects, algae, bacteria, and fungi. Therefore, this review provides a comprehensive overview of promising novel alternative proteins developed in recent years with a focus on their nutrition, sustainability, classification, and structure. In addition, methods of extraction and potential safety factors for these proteins are summarized.

Metal distribution and human health risk assessment in legumes crops (chickpea, lentils and peas) from Belesa districts, Ethiopia

Accumulation of heavy metals in food is a major concern for humans' health. This study was aimed at determining the levels of Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni and Zn in chickpea, lentil and pea samples and evaluating the health risk for consumers. The concentrations (in mg/kg) of Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Ni were varied from 23.6-48, 67.7-132.3, 15-26.5, 37.6-68.2, and 25.5-33.3 in chickpea, 39.8-80.5, 116.1-180.5, 12.1-21.6, 36.4-57.2, and 25.4-34.1 for lentil and 32-64.2, 51.6-100.0, 6.3-15, 25.3-42.5, and 25.5-48.5 for peas, respectively. Pearson correlation verified that strong positive correlations were observed between Cu and Zn in lentils, Ni and Mn, Fe with Cu and Mn in peas. Target hazard quotients (THQ) except Ni in all samples, Cu in lentil and pea were < 1 and the hazard index (HI) values of all heavy metals were greater than 1, thus an appropriate strategy is required to reduce exposure to heavy metals.

Pulse Protein Isolates as Competitive Food Ingredients: Origin, Composition, Functionalities, and the State-of-the-Art Manufacturing

The ever-increasing world population and environmental stress are leading to surging demand for nutrient-rich food products with cleaner labeling and improved sustainability. Plant proteins, accordingly, are gaining enormous popularity compared with counterpart animal proteins in the food industry. While conventional plant protein sources, such as wheat and soy, cause concerns about their allergenicity, peas, beans, chickpeas, lentils, and other pulses are becoming important staples owing to their agronomic and nutritional benefits. However, the utilization of pulse proteins is still limited due to unclear pulse protein characteristics and the challenges of characterizing them from extensively diverse varieties within pulse crops. To address these challenges, the origins and compositions of pulse crops were first introduced, while an overarching description of pulse protein physiochemical properties, e.g., interfacial properties, aggregation behavior, solubility, etc., are presented. For further enhanced functionalities, appropriate modifications (including chemical, physical, and enzymatic treatment) are necessary. Among them, non-covalent complexation and enzymatic strategies are especially preferable during the value-added processing of clean-label pulse proteins for specific focus. This comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the composition, structure, functional characteristics, and advanced modification strategies of pulse proteins, which is a pillar of high-performance pulse protein in future food manufacturing.

Exploring the nutritional and health benefits of pulses from the Indian Himalayan region: A glimpse into the region's rich agricultural heritage

Pulses have been consumed worldwide for over 10 centuries and are currently among the most widely used foods. They are not economically important, but also nutritionally beneficial as they constitute a good source of protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals such as iron, zinc, folate and magnesium. Pulses, but particularly species such as Macrotyloma uniflorum, Phaseolus vulgaris L., Glycine max L. and Vigna umbellate, are essential ingredients of the local diet in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR). Consuming pulses can have a favourable effect on cardiovascular health as they improve serum lipid profiles, reduce blood pressure, decrease platelet activity, regulate blood glucose and insulin levels, and reduce inflammation. Although pulses also contain anti-nutritional compounds such as phytates, lectins or enzyme inhibitors, their deleterious effects can be lessened by using effective processing and cooking methods. Despite their great potential, however, the use of some pulses is confined to IHR regions. This comprehensive review discusses the state of the art in available knowledge about various types of pulses grown in IHR in terms of chemical and nutritional properties, health effects, accessibility, and agricultural productivity.

A study on the use of sorrel seed flour (Hibiscus sabdariffa) for improving functionality of wheat flour bread

Bread presents one of the easiest opportunities as a food vehicle for delivery of nutritional and health-promoting benefits to large segments of the world population. However, its low nutritional status due to lack of balance of essential amino acids and inadequate macro- and micronutrients has necessitated recent interest in the development of high-protein hybrid breads (HPHB). Sorrel seed, an underutilized, neglected protein-rich seed holds promising nutritional and antioxidant potentials as source of good quality protein, dietary fibre and bioactive compounds. Furthermore, germination of plant seeds increases the bioavailability of these nutritional and bioactive compounds. Hence, this study has investigated the influence of germination time on nutritional, and functional properties of sorrel seed flour. Further, the amino acid profile, dietary fibre and rheological functionality of wheat-germinated defatted sorrel seed bread were assessed. The sorrel seed was germinated for 24-48 h and defatted. Thereafter, the germinated defatted sorrel seed flours were used to partially replace wheat flour using a linear replacement (w/w) of 95-80% wheat (W) and 5-20% germinated defatted sorrel seed (GS) flours to obtain W95:GS5; W90:GS10, W85:GS15 and W80:GS20. These composite flours and 100% wheat flour (control) were used to produce breads using standard recipe and methods. Results showed significant increase (P < 0.05) in crude protein, dietary fibre and mineral contents after 24 and 48 h germination of sorrel seed. While 24 h germination significantly (P < 0.05) increased WAC from 93.75% to 103.13%, further germination (48 h) caused a reduction of 26.67% (from 93.75 to 68.75%). In vitro protein digestibility of wheat flour decreased significantly (P < 0.05) as supplementation of germinated defatted sorrel seed flour increased. Supplementation of wheat flour with germinated defatted sorrel seed flour in bread production resulted in 51.84-121.42% significant (p < 0.05) increase in the protein content of wheat bread. Similarly, total essential amino acids, dietary fibre, mineral, and ash contents followed the same increasing trend. The in-vivo biological value which ranged from 82.10 to 89.40% was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than 58.30% obtained for the control (100% wheat bread) Thus, inclusion of germinated defatted sorrel seed flour in bread production may serve as a low-cost nutritional supplement for enhancing the nutritional profile and functional benefits of wheat bread.

Unravelling dynamic changes in non-volatile and volatile metabolites of pulses during soaking: An integrated metabolomics approach

An integrated metabolomics approach based on UPLC-QTOF-MS and HS-SPME-GC-orbitrap-MS was performed to investigate the dynamic changes of metabolite profiling in chickpeas, red speckled kidney beans, and mung beans during soaking. There were 23, 23, 16 non-volatile metabolites, and 18, 21, 22 volatile metabolites were identified as differential metabolites in chickpeas, red speckled kidney beans, and mung beans during soaking, respectively. These metabolites mainly included flavonoids, lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), lysophosphatidylethanolamines (LPEs), fatty acids, alcohols, aldehydes, and esters. The key time points responsible for the significant changes in metabolites and quality of the three pulses were 4, 8, and 24 h of soaking. Results revealed that the variations of some metabolites could attribute to oxidation and hydrolysis reactions. These results contribute to a better understanding of how soaking affects pulses quality, and provide useful information for determining soaking time according to nutritional and sensory requirements of their final products or dishes.

Non-destructive characterization of pulse flours-A review

The consumption of plant-based proteins sourced from pulses is sustainable from the perspective of agriculture, environment, food security, and nutrition. Increased incorporation of high-quality pulse ingredients into foods such as pasta and baked goods is poised to produce refined food products to satisfy consumer demand. However, a better understanding of pulse milling processes is required to optimize the blending of pulse flours with wheat flour and other traditional ingredients. A thorough review of the state-of-the-art on pulse flour quality characterization reveals that research is required to elucidate the relationships between the micro- and nanoscale structures of these flours and their milling-dependent properties, such as hydration, starch and protein quality, components separation, and particle size distribution. With advances in synchrotron-enabled material characterization techniques, there exist a few options that have the potential to fill knowledge gaps. To this end, we conducted a comprehensive review of four high-resolution nondestructive techniques (i.e., scanning electron microscopy, synchrotron X-ray microtomography, synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering, and Fourier-transformed infrared spectromicroscopy) and a comparison of their suitability for characterizing pulse flours. Our detailed synthesis of the literature concludes that a multimodal approach to fully characterize pulse flours will be vital to predicting their end-use suitability. A holistic characterization will help optimize and standardize the milling methods, pretreatments, and post-processing of pulse flours. Millers/processors will benefit by having a range of well-understood pulse flour fractions to incorporate into food formulations.

Scope, nutritional aspects, technology, and consumer preferences toward seafood alternatives

Sustainability, human health, and animal welfare are three broad areas that pose a greater impact on mankind. The increased consumption of animal-based foods such as fish or seafood has threatened the ecosystem due to rising greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, diseases, and consumption of toxic metals contained in fish by cause of water pollution. This has led to increased awareness among consumers to adopt seafood alternatives for a sustainable future. It is also not well known whether consumers are ready to switch from traditional seafood towards a safer and sustainable seafood alternative. This encourages the in-depth study of the scope of seafood alternatives in consumers' food choices. This study also highlights the nutritional perspectives and technologies involved in the development of seafood alternatives along with the future outlook for a greener planet.

Escalate protein plates from legumes for sustainable human nutrition

Protein is one of the most important, foremost, and versatile nutrients in food. The quantity and quality of protein are determinants of its nutritional values. Therefore, adequate consumption of high-quality protein is essential for optimal growth, development, and health of humans. Based on short-term nitrogen balance studies, the Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein for the healthy adult with minimal physical activity is 0.8 g protein/kg body weight (BW) per day. Proteins are present in good quantities in not only animals but also in plants, especially in legumes. With the growing demand for protein, interest in plant proteins is also rising due to their comparative low cost as well as the increase in consumers' demand originating from health and environmental concerns. Legumes are nutrient-dense foods, comprising components identified as "antinutritional factors" that can reduce the bioavailability of macro and micronutrients. Other than nutritive value, the physiochemical and behavioral properties of proteins during processing plays a significant role in determining the end quality of food. The term "complete protein" refers to when all nine essential amino acids are present in the correct proportion in our bodies. To have a balanced diet, the right percentage of protein is required for our body. The consumption of these high protein-containing foods will lead to protein sustainability and eradicate malnutrition. Here, we shed light on major opportunities to strengthen the contribution of diversity in legume crops products to sustainable diets. This review will boost awareness and knowledge on underutilized proteinous foods into national nutritional security programs.

Saponins and Tannin Levels in Chayote, Mung Beans, and Biscuits from Chayote and Mung Beans

BACKGROUND: Saponins and tannins are active compounds of secondary metabolites which are known to have several health benefits, including antibacterial and antioxidant. Chayote and green beans are natural ingredients that contain saponins and tannins. Starch from these two ingredients is used as a basic ingredient for making biscuits. AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the levels of saponins and tannins in biscuits made from chayote and green beans. METHODS: Saponins and tannins in the samples were extracted and analyzed using the Gravimetric method. The tannin content of flour and biscuits based on chayote and green beans was analyzed spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: The results of the saponin analysis of biscuits made from chayote, flour, and chayote were 5.693%, 2.813%, and 2.574%. Meanwhile, the tannin levels were 1.143%, 4.308%, and 1.922%, respectively. The saponin levels in biscuits made from mung bean, flour, and mung bean obtained were 6.742%, 4.593%, and 4.315%, respectively, while the tannin levels were 4.464%, 3.250%, and 3.893%, respectively. From the sample of chayote and green bean flour biscuit formulation (1:1), the saponin content was 1.558%, while the tannin content was 3.436%. CONCLUSION: In mung bean flour and mung bean biscuits, the saponin content was higher than that of chayote flour and chayote biscuits. The increase in tannin content in the formulation (1:1) was derived from mung bean flour, because the tannin content in mung bean was higher than that of chayote.

COVID-19 and prices of pulses in Major markets of India: Impact of nationwide lockdown

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted almost all the sectors including agriculture in the country. The present paper investigates the impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown on both wholesale and retail prices of major pulses in India. The daily wholesale and retail price data on five major pulses namely Lentil, Moong, Arhar, Urad and Gram are collected for five major markets in India namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad during the period January, 2019 to September, 2020 from Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. The Government of India declared nationwide lockdown since March, 24, to May, 31, 2020 in different phases in order to restrict the spread of the infection due to COVID-19. To see the impact of lockdown on price and price volatility, time series model namely Autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model with error following Generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedastic (GARCH) model incorporating exogenous variable as lockdown dummy in both mean as well variance equations. It is observed that in almost all the markets, lockdown has significant impact on price of the pulses whereas in few cases, it has significant impact on price volatility.

Nutritional and Food Composition Survey of Major Pulses Toward Healthy, Sustainable, and Biofortified Diets

The world's food demand is increasing rapidly due to fast population growth that has posed a challenge to meeting the requirements of nutritionally balanced diets. Pulses could play a major role in the human diet to combat these challenges and provide nutritional and physiological benefits. Pulses such as chickpeas, green gram, peas, horse gram, beans, lentils, black gram, etc., are rich sources of protein (190–260 g kg−1), carbohydrates (600–630 g kg−1), dietary fibers, and bioactive compounds. There are many health benefits of phytochemicals present in pulses, like flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, phytates, saponins, lectins, oxalates, phytosterols peptides, and enzyme inhibitors. Some of them have anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerative, anti-microbial, and anti-cancer effects. Along with these, pulses are also rich in vitamins and minerals. In this review, we highlight the potential role of pulses in global food systems and diets, their nutritional value, health benefits, and prospects for biofortification of major pulses. The food composition databases with respect to pulses, effect of processing techniques, and approaches for improvement of nutritional profile of pulses are elaborated.

Legume Proteins and Peptides as Compounds in Nutraceuticals: A Structural Basis for Dietary Health Effects

In the current climate of food security, quality aspects of legume crops have primary market economic and health impact. Legume proteins and peptides have been discovered to have a role far beyond supplying amino acids for growth and maintenance of body tissues. Several proteins (enzymatic inhibitors, lectins, storage globulins) and peptides derived from them (lunasin, hydrophobic peptides) have shown anticarcinogenic, hypocholesterolemic, glucose-lowering, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and immunostimulant properties. Further understanding of how structural features of legume proteins affect in vivo digestion and production of bioactive sequences represents a key step in the valorization of nutraceutical potentiality of legume proteins and peptides derived from them. In this work, the relationship between structure and bioavailability of protein and peptides are reviewed and discussed.

Biofortification-A Frontier Novel Approach to Enrich Micronutrients in Field Crops to Encounter the Nutritional Security

Globally, many developing countries are facing silent epidemics of nutritional deficiencies in human beings and animals. The lack of diversity in diet, i.e., cereal-based crops deficient in mineral nutrients is an additional threat to nutritional quality. The present review accounts for the significance of biofortification as a process to enhance the productivity of crops and also an agricultural solution to address the issues of nutritional security. In this endeavor, different innovative and specific biofortification approaches have been discussed for nutrient enrichment of field crops including cereals, pulses, oilseeds and fodder crops. The agronomic approach increases the micronutrient density in crops with soil and foliar application of fertilizers including amendments. The biofortification through conventional breeding approach includes the selection of efficient genotypes, practicing crossing of plants with desirable nutritional traits without sacrificing agricultural and economic productivity. However, the transgenic/biotechnological approach involves the synthesis of transgenes for micronutrient re-translocation between tissues to enhance their bioavailability. Soil microorganisms enhance nutrient content in the rhizosphere through diverse mechanisms such as synthesis, mobilization, transformations and siderophore production which accumulate more minerals in plants. Different sources of micronutrients viz. mineral solutions, chelates and nanoparticles play a pivotal role in the process of biofortification as it regulates the absorption rates and mechanisms in plants. Apart from the quality parameters, biofortification also improved the crop yield to alleviate hidden hunger thus proving to be a sustainable and cost-effective approach. Thus, this review article conveys a message for researchers about the adequate potential of biofortification to increase crop productivity and nourish the crop with additional nutrient content to provide food security and nutritional quality to humans and livestock.

Understanding G × E Interaction for Nutritional and Antinutritional Factors in a Diverse Panel of Vigna stipulacea (Lam.) Kuntz Germplasm Tested Over the Locations

Micronutrient malnutrition or hidden hunger is a serious challenge toward societal well-being. Vigna stipulacea (Lam.) Kuntz (known locally as Minni payaru), is an underutilized legume that has the potential to be a global food legume due to its rich nutrient profile. In the present study, 99 accessions of V. stipulacea were tested for iron (Fe), zinc (Zn), calcium (Ca), protein, and phytate concentrations over two locations for appraisal of stable nutrient-rich sources. Analysis of variance revealed significant effects of genotype for all the traits over both locations. Fe concentration ranged from 29.35-130.96 mg kg-1 whereas Zn concentration ranged from 19.44 to 74.20 mg kg-1 across both locations. The highest grain Ca concentration was 251.50 mg kg-1 whereas the highest grain protein concentration was recorded as 25.73%. In the case of grain phytate concentration, a genotype with the lowest value is desirable. IC622867 (G-99) was the lowest phytate containing accession at both locations. All the studied traits revealed highly significant genotypic variances and highly significant genotype × location interaction though less in magnitude than the genotypic variance. GGE Biplot analysis detected that, for grain Fe, Zn, and Ca concentration the 'ideal' genotypes were IC331457 (G-75), IC331610 (G-76), and IC553564 (G-60), respectively, whereas for grain protein concentration IC553521 (G-27) was the most "ideal type." For phytate concentration, IC351407 (G-95) and IC550523 (G-99) were considered as 'ideal' and 'desirable,' respectively. Based on the desirability index, Location 1 (Kanpur) was identified as ideal for Fe, Zn, Ca, and phytate, and for grain protein concentration, Location 2 (New Delhi) was the ideal type. A significant positive correlation was detected between grain Fe as well as grain Zn and protein concentration considering the pooled analysis over both the locations where as a significant negative association was observed between phytate and protein concentration over the locations. This study has identified useful donors and enhanced our knowledge toward the development of biofortified Vigna cultivars. Promoting domestication of this nutrient-rich semi-domesticated, underutilized species will boost sustainable agriculture and will contribute toward alleviating hidden hunger.

Enriching Lactobacilli from Fermented Pulse Dal Flour-Analyzing its Efficacy in Utilizing Carbohydrates and Production of α-galactosidase Enzyme During Pigeon Pea Fermentation

Pigeon peas are an excellent source of carbohydrates, proteins and other nutrients. Many traditional fermented foods are prepared from cereals and combinations of cereals and pulses that usually contain Lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Bacillus, Enterococcus and yeast. Lactobacillus can be used as a starter culture for such fermentation using pulses, as very few reports are available on fermented pulse-based products. Hence, pulse dal flour was used as a source for isolation of Lactobacillus to maintain their functionality, growth characteristics and activity during food processing. In this study, we investigated the potential of lactobacilli from fermented pigeon pea to utilize carbohydrates, the ability to degrade non-digestible oligosaccharides and the production of the α-galactosidase enzyme. Lactobacillus isolated from six different pulse dal flour grew well during fermentation with carbohydrates in mMRS medium. Among Lactobacillus species, only Lactobacillus brevis displayed the highest α-galactosidase activity (1.24 U/ml), where raffinose was added as the sole carbohydrate source in the medium. The isolate was further tested in pigeon pea fermentation, where it showed maximum activity (1.86 U/ml) and complete hydrolysis of non-digestible oligosaccharides was observed. Overall, usage of Lactobacilli could be an excellent opportunity to design and develop a novel pulse-based fermented product contributing to beneficial bioactive compounds and improving the properties of food.

Accumulation and Transformation of Biogenic Amines and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) in Chickpea Sourdough

In general, sourdough fermentation leads to an improvement in the technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of bakery products. The use of non-conventional flours with a specific autochthonous microbiota may lead to the formation of secondary metabolites, which may even have undesirable physiological and toxicological effects. Chickpea flours from different suppliers have been used to produce sourdoughs by spontaneous and inoculated fermentations. The content of nutritionally undesirable biogenic amines (BA) and beneficial gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was determined by chromatography. Fenugreek sprouts, which are a rich source of amine oxidases, were used to reduce the BA content in the sourdoughs. Spontaneous fermentation resulted in a high accumulation of cadaverine, putrescine, and tyramine for certain flours. The use of commercial starter cultures was not effective in reducing the accumulation of BA in all sourdoughs. The addition of fenugreek sprouts to the suspension of sourdough with pH raised to 6.5 resulted in a significant reduction in BA contents. Enzymatic oxidation was less efficient during kneading. Baking resulted in only a partial degradation of BA and GABA in the crust and not in the crumb. Therefore, it could be suggested to give more importance to the control of sourdough fermentation with regard to the formation of nutritionally undesirable BA and to exploit the possibilities of their degradation.

Feasibility of commercial breadmaking using chickpea as an ingredient: Functional properties and potential health benefits

The use of pulses, such as chickpea, has become more relevant in baking as they exhibit potential health benefits such as reduction of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and prevention of colon cancer. It is also a good source of highly bioavailable protein at a low cost. This allows companies to develop new innovative products that meet the demand for nutritional value-added baked goods. Further understanding of the baking properties and rheology of chickpea flours will allow the baking industry to overcome processing and quality challenges related to the effects caused by the addition of non-gluten-forming ingredients. Therefore, the objective of this review was to summarize the rheological properties of baking formulations using chickpea as an ingredient in order to produce quality products while preserving the nutritional aspects of this legume. It also covers health benefits linked to chickpea-specific compounds.

Additive interactions of nanoparticulate ZnO with copper, manganese and iron in Pisum sativum L., a hydroponic study

Widespread occurrence of ZnO nanoparticles in environment follows the growing number of applications either in technology or agriculture. The impact of five forms of nanoparticulate ZnO on copper, manganese and iron uptake by Pisum sativum L. cultivated in Hoagland solutions was investigated. Plants were collected after twelve days of zinc administration. Effect of bulk ZnO has also been studied. Initial zinc concentration was 100 mg L^-1. Nanoparticles were characterized by the Transmission Electron Microscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering and Zeta potential measurements. Metal contents were analyzed using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry with flame atomization for samples digested in a microwave closed system. Analysis of variance indicated that zinc species at either molecular or nanoscale levels altered Cu, Mn and Fe uptake and their further transport in pea plants. In particular, significant reduction of Mn and Fe combined with the Cu increase was observed. Additive interactions originated by nanoparticles affect the heavy metals uptake and indicate pollutants migration pathways in plants. Unfortunately, regulations for the plant cultivation were formulated when anthropogenic nanoparticles were not in common use. They underestimate complexity of metals interactions in either plant or habitat. Our results indicate that these additive interactions cannot be neglected and deserve further investigations.

Pulses' germination and fermentation: Two bioprocessing against hypertension by releasing ACE inhibitory peptides

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme (ACE) is one of the main blood pressure regulators in the renin-angiotensin system leading to hypertension. Hypertension is known as the modern world disease which increases the risk of serious human health problems. Synthetic drugs and some natural compounds could treat this disease by binding to ACE and reducing its activity. Pulses, one of the legumes group, that are the rich in protein sources in the human diet, have several bioactive compounds with ACE inhibitory (ACE I) properties. However, several processes need to break down proteins and improve ACE I activity in foods. Germination and fermentation, known by bioprocessing, could make releasing bioactive peptides and polyphenols and exhibit ACE I and either other health properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-diabetic and anticancer activities. Various factors such as kind of selective culture, temperature, time and humidity affect these processes. This review summarizes relevant studies about the effect of pulses' germination and fermentation to produce ACE I activity compounds and also explains about main parameters affecting the health properties of these two bioprocessing to treat hypertension that could lead to the development of their application in pharmaceuticals instead of synthetic drugs.

Enzyme and Biological Activities of the Water Extracts from the Plants Aesculus hippocastanum, Olea europaea and Hypericum perforatum That Are Used as Folk Remedies in Turkey

Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites that are found ubiquitously in plants, fruits, and vegetables. Many studies have shown that regular consumption of these compounds could have a positive effect on our health. The aim of this study was to compare the phytochemical contents of the water extracts from three different plants used as folk remedies in Turkey: Aesculus hippocastanum, Olea europaea, and Hypericum perforatum. A liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) analysis was performed to explore the phenolic profiles. The biological activities of these extracts were also evaluated in terms of their antioxidant activities (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl DPPH, 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid ABTS, Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay FRAP, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity CUPRAC, β-carotene, phosphomolybdenum, and metal chelating) and enzyme inhibitory properties (against acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, and tyrosinase). The aqueous extract of H. perforatum showed the highest levels of total phenolic, flavonoid, and saponin contents. Protocatechuic acid, vanillic acid, verbascoside, hesperidin, hyperoside, apigenin 7-hexosides, and quercetin were the most common compounds found in this species. The results confirm that A. hippocastanum, O. europaea, and H. perforatum represent a potential source of natural-derived molecules with positive properties that could be used as valid starting point for new food supplements, and drugs in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries.

Comparison of berry juice concentrates and pomaces and alternative plant proteins to produce spray dried protein-polyphenol food ingredients

Spray dried functional food ingredients were prepared by complexing alternative plant protein sources - buckwheat flour alone or blended with pea and rice proteins, with polyphenol sources - blueberry, cranberry and purple muscadine grape extracts from juice concentrates and pomaces - to create colloidal aggregate powders. When fruit pomaces (rather than juice concentrates) were used as polyphenol resources, solid recovery was significantly enhanced, especially for matrices made with pea protein, buckwheat flour or pea-buckwheat blends (over two fold for pea protein-berry pomace aggregates). Polyphenol content and DPPH radical scavenging capacity were, in general, significantly greater for pomace-derived protein-polyphenol aggregates compared to those made with juice concentrates. In particular, the particles produced with muscadine grape pomace presented the highest (p < 0.05) phenolic content (147.3-174.3 mg g-1, 19.4-20.4 mg g-1 and 16.3-21.4 mg g-1 for total phenolic content, anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins respectively), and antioxidant activity (408.9-423.3 μmol TE per g) as well as good spray drying yield (38.6-63.4%). Buckwheat flour, despite its relatively low protein content (13.7%) relative to pea and rice protein isolates (84% and 89%, respectively) still demonstrated high capacity for sorption of flavonoid phytoactive compounds from the berry fruits. These results suggest an efficient plant-based approach to produce value-added protein-polyphenol aggregates with broad utility as healthy food ingredients.

Sowing Date and Seeding Rate Affect Bioactive Compound Contents of Chickpea Grains

Chickpea grains may represent an alternative to soybean meals and energetic concentrates in animal feeding, as their nutritional value can help to increase the sustainability of livestock systems. Unfortunately, the presence of bioactive compounds with anti-nutritional effects can prevent its direct use, especially in mono-gastrics. It is known that the synthesis of these compounds depends on genetic expression, which is also influenced by growth conditions. The objective of this two-year study was to assess the effect of sowing date (winter versus spring) and seeding rate (70 versus 110 seeds m^-2) on the accumulation of soluble carbohydrates, α-galactosides, trypsin inhibitors, and inositol phosphates in the grains of two Kabuli cultivars, in the Mediterranean climate. The results showed that seeds collected from winter sowing contained more trypsin inhibitors than those seeded in spring (+ 4%, on average), reaching values between 16.1 and 18.6 TIU mg protein^-1. The seeding rate affects only the α-galactosides content, which increases (+9%) at lower densities (70 seeds m^-2). These findings suggest that agronomic management can be used to modulate the content of some anti-nutritional factors in the seeds, even though the genetic characteristics and phenotypic expression, in relation to the climatic conditions, seem to deeply affect the content of all the bioactive compounds investigated.