Effect of germination on legume phenolic compounds and their antioxidant activity

This work has studied the effects of varying germination conditions for beans, lentils and peas, at semi-pilot scale, on bioactive compounds such as flavonoid and non-flavonoid phenolic compounds. It has also evaluated the free radical scavenging activity of these samples. The legumes studied contain different hydroxybenzoic acids and aldehydes, hydroxycinnamic acids and derivatives, flavonol glycosides, and flavan-3-ols and procyanidins. The results obtained indicate that germination modifies the quantitative and qualitative phenolic composition of legumes, and the changes depend on the type of legume and the germination conditions. These changes influence the functional properties of the legumes as consequence of the variation in antioxidant activity. Peas and beans undergo a significant increase in antioxidant activity after germination, whereas lentils show a decrease. (c) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.