BIOBASED APPROACHES AT MODULATING THE INTERACTION BETWEEN LEGUMES BIOPOLYMERS AND BIOACTIVES: A PERSPECTIVE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BAKED GOODS

Nowadays, with the increasing consumer demand for healthy foods, legumes, pseudocereals like buckwheat, and cereals like sorghum, have gained popularity as a potential component of functional foods. These crops are characterized by well-balanced nutritional profile, made by proteins, carbohydrates, resistant starch, and bioactive compounds, and offer considerable health benefits. Recent studies on buckwheat employing in vitro and ex vivo models have investigated the cellular and molecular mechanisms through which it affects human health, highlighting its capacity to reduce cytokine secretion and oxidative stress mainly related to polyphenolic and protein fractions. However, these crops are characterized by high levels of anti-nutritional factors like phytates and protease inhibitors, along with oligosaccharides found specifically in legumes, responsible for reducing the bioavailability of nutrients. To address this issue, the sprouting process on grains and legumes has emerged as a leading area of research due to its positive effect on nutritional composition. This process, applied to buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and cowpea beans (Vigna unguiculata), has proven to have an effect on nutritional profiles by increasing antioxidant capacity and reducing anti-nutritional factors. Specifically, in buckwheat, sprouting for 48 and 72 hours increased the content of free phenolic compounds and peptide while decreasing significantly the level of anti-nutrients. Sorghum exhibited the same benefits with sprouting increased hydrolysis of proteins and starch and the antioxidant profiles, suggesting it could serve as a functional option in various food products, particularly in low-income regions. Cowpea also shown to benefit significantly from sprouting for 48-72 hours, which improved protein digestibility and nutrient availability while effectively lowering anti-nutritional compounds. The results of all the studies on germination across legumes and grains consistently found 72 hours to be the optimal sprouting time. Based on this, wheat bread enriched with 25% of 72h sprouted cowpea flour was prepared. Substantial nutritional improvements were observed, offering higher content of proteins and resistant starch, as well as higher antioxidant capacity for both free and bound phenolic compounds, and lower content of anti-nutritional factors. This not only improved the quality of the bread but also promoted greater protein bioaccessibility during digestion, underscoring the potential of sprouted legumes in fortifying baked goods, expanding their application in the food industry. Collectively, all these studies illustrate the impact of sprouting on various grains and legumes, improving their nutritional characteristics and viability as ingredients in functional foods. By mitigating anti-nutritional factors and improving the availability of beneficial compounds, sprouting emerges as a crucial processing technique that could emphasize how these staple crops are utilized, ultimately contributing to nutritional security and improved health outcomes worldwide. Although further research is needed, the current findings point to a promising future for sprouted flours as key elements of healthier diets, with substantial economic and nutritional advantages, especially for communities dependent on staple crops.