International Year of Pulses: Keeping the momentum beyond 2016

Nutritional, chemical, and antioxidant screening of selected varieties of lentils (Lens culinaris spp.) from organic and conventional agriculture

BACKGROUND

Lentils are an ancient legume established worldwide for direct consumption and with great potential for application in food processing. In addition, it is a sustainable crop owing to its ability to scavenge nitrogen and carbon, and it improves the nutrient status of the soil. A diet rich in lentils has been linked to significant health benefits. However, the composition of lentils can be influenced by both the lentil variety and the growing conditions. The aim of this work was to evaluate the nutritional profiles and antioxidant potential, as well as the impact that the type of cultivation (conventional or organic) and the variety could have on these parameters, in different lentil varieties.

RESULTS

Overall, carbohydrates are the major macronutrients in all varieties, with notable amounts of fibre (11.62-27.36%) and starch (41.98-50.27%). High amounts of protein and ash were also identified, particularly in the Beluga variety, with 21.9-23.3 and 1.38-1.82 g 100 g-1 fresh weight, respectively. Fructose and sucrose were detected (high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with refraction index detection), along with oxalic, quinic, malic, and shikimic acids (ultra-fast liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection), and α- and γ-tocopherol isoforms (HPLC with fluorescence detection). Fatty acid methyl ester assessment showed the prevalence of polyunsaturated fatty acids (33.5-46.3%). Good antioxidant capacity (thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and oxidative haemolysis inhibition assay) was also noted.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained showed that all the varieties analysed are an excellent source of fibre and have a good antioxidant capacity. Lentil variety has a greater influence on its nutritional composition than the type of cultivation. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.