Comparative effects of pretreatments and their combinations on uncooked and microwave-assisted cooked lentil (Lens culinaris) technofunctional, antinutritional, bioactive, and structural properties

Abstract

This study focused on nutritional, technofunctional, bioactive, and microstructural properties of lentils obtained with different pretreatments and processing methods like soaking, germination, dehulling, microwave-assisted cooking (MAC), and their combinations to obtain value-added lentil flour with improved characteristics. The interaction effect of dehulling and germination led to a notable rise in protein content (p < 0.05), with the highest value observed at 30.91%. Similarly, crude fiber content increased with the interaction effect of germination and MAC (3.62%). In contrast, fat content showed a decreasing trend with same interaction.Dehulling resulted in maximum reduction of tannin content (85.57%), phytic acid was most effectively reduced by germination (73.14%), and trypsin inhibitor majorly reduced by MAC (93.81%). Antioxidant activity was highest in untreated sample (35.37%) and further decreased after subsequent pretreatments, similar reduction was observed in case of TPC. Soaking dehulled lentil flour resulted in the highest peak and final viscosities (1366 cP & 1800 cP). MAC can improve both the technofunctional and nutritional properties of lentil flour and a combination approach can influence the value of lentils and diversify their use.