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Lentil is considered a high protein source. However, it is low in sulphur amino acids (SAA) and their metabolic availability (MA) is further affected by antinutritional factors in lentils. The combination of lentils with grains such as rice can enhance the protein quality of a lentil-based meal but the MA of SAA in lentils must first be known.The objectives of the current study were to assess the MA of methionine in lentils and to test the effects of consumption of complementing lentils with rice in young adults.Five healthy young men [age30 y, BMI 25 (in kg/m2)] were each studied at 8 or 10 intake amounts of methionine in random order; 4 daily intake amounts of l-methionine: 0.5, 1, 2, and 3 mg.kg-1.d-1 (reference diet), 3 daily intake amounts of methionine from lentils, and 3 daily intake amounts of the mixed meal of lentils + rice (test diets). The MA of methionine and the effects of complementation were assessed by comparing the indicator amino acid oxidation (IAAO) response to varying intakes of methionine in cooked Canadian lentils, and in rice + lentils combined, compared with the IAAO response to l-methionine intakes in the reference protein (crystalline AA mixture patterned after egg protein) using the slope ratio method. l-[1-13C] phenylalanine was used as the indicator. Data were analyzed using the procedure "MIXED" with subject as a random variable, and oxidation day as repeated measure.The MA of methionine from lentils was 69%. Complementation of cooked lentils with rice decreased the oxidation of l-[1-13C] phenylalanine by up to 16% (P 0.05).The content and MA of methionine are low in lentils. However, combination of lentils with rice in a 1:1 ratio can improve the protein quality of lentil-based diets, resulting in increased protein synthesis in young healthy adults. This trial was registered at www.clinical trials.gov as NCT03110913.

Lentil cultivation could be challenged by combined heat and drought stress in semi-arid regions. We used RNA-seq approach to profile transcriptome changes of Lens culinaris exposed to individual and combined heat and drought stresses. It was determined that most of the differentially expressed genes observed in response to combined stress, could not be identified by analysis of transcriptome exposed to corresponding individual stresses. Interestingly, this study results revealed that the expression of ribosome generation and protein biosynthesis and starch degradation pathways related genes were uniquely up-regulated under the combined stress. Although multiple genes related to antioxidant activity were up-regulated in response to all stresses, variation in types and expression levels of these genes under the combined stress were higher than that of individual stresses. Using this comparative approach, for the first time, we reported up-regulation of several TF, CDPK, CYP, and antioxidant genes in response to combined stress in plants.

Different treatments of autoclaving, pullulanase debranching and/or ultrasound were applied to prepare debranched lentil starch (DBLS). Their fine structures can affect the retrogradation patterns of DBLSs, which consequently could affect their potential use as delivery carrier of sensitive bioactive compounds. An attempt was made to use these DBLSs as wall materials to encapsulate rutin, aiming to improve the bioaccessibility, meanwhile to enhance the aqueous solubility and stability of rutin molecules. Their encapsulation efficiency, structural characteristics, thermal stability, morphological features, antioxidant activity and in vitro release behavior under simulated upper gastrointestinal tract environment were evaluated. The results suggested that rutin was dispersed in the DBLS polymer matrix, showing the amorphous nature that further authenticates the encapsulation and entrapment of rutin. The structural analyses of microparticles revealed that rutin could interacted with DBLS biopolymer chains by hydrogen bonds, making the starch molecular chains less susceptible to interact with themselves for reordering. The encapsulation efficiency was found to be in an opposite trend with those values obtained for relative crystallinity, melting enthalpy, degree of order/double helices of DBLS wall materials before encapsulation. The release rate results indicated that DBLS carrier with lower Mw, DPn and higher molecular order was beneficial for the slower release of rutin encapsulated in the microparticles.

The seed coat is a major byproduct of lentil processing with potential as a sustainable source of antioxidant polyphenols. Profiles of water-soluble phenolic compounds and antioxidant activities of seven genotypes of lentil which includes both normal-tannin and low-tannin seed coats were investigated. Antioxidant activities were assessed using four antioxidant assays, and phenolic compounds were quantified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Total phenolic content (TPC) varied significantly among genotypes and ranged between 1519 ± 140 and 6502 ± 154 μg/g. Thirty phenolic compounds were identified with kaempferol tetraglycoside, catechin-3-glucoside and procyanidins being the dominant compounds in normal-tannin seed coats. Kaempferol tetraglycoside predominated (80-90%) in low-tannin seed coats. Antioxidant activities strongly correlated with TPC (r 0.93) with a 6-9 times higher activity in normal-tannin than that of low-tannin lentils. Without flavan-3-ols and procyanidins, low-tannin seed coat may not exert strong antioxidant potential, whereas normal-tannin seed coat contains water-extractable natural phenolic compounds with promising antioxidant potential.

The suitability of chickpea, red lentil and green pea for the production of extruded products (i.e., snacks and pasta) was studied. Besides starch and technological properties, the impact of processing on some bioactive compounds was evaluated. The best results were obtained for lentil: the snacks showed the lowest porosity (21 %), the highest average pore radius (18.8 µm), and high expansion (section area: 310 mm

Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) are an important class of plant proteins containing an internal cavity and binding hydrophobic ligands. Although LTP structures and functions are well studied, mechanisms of ligand binding remain unclear. Earlier, we discovered the lentil lipid transfer protein Lc-LTP2 capable of binding and transfer various ligands. We have shown that the "bottom" entrance of the Lc-LTP2 cavity takes part in attachment to the micelle surface and in lipids uptake. Here, we studied the role of Arg45 and Tyr80, located at the "bottom" entrance, in Lc-LTP2 ligand binding. We obtained recombinant mutant analogs of Lc-LTP2 (R45A, Y80A, R45A/Y80A), investigated their ability to bind fatty acids and lysolipids, as well as performed molecular modeling of the protein-ligand complexes. We showed that replacement of one or both residues led to a change of the internal hydrophobic cavity dimensions. As a result, lipids may change their orientation into the protein cavity, and thereby binding ability of mutant analogs may be affected as well. In the present work, we revealed an important role of Arg45 and Tyr80 in stabilization of the Lc-LTP2 complexes with both fatty acids and lysolipids with different ligand orientation.

The present study aimed to tackle research gaps regarding how infrared heating affected macro- and micronutrients of lentil flours from seeds varying in size. Infrared treatments reduced resistant starch contents of lentil flours from 26.1-33.6% to 6.0-17.8%, increased protein digestibility from 73.6-75.0% to 78.2-82.2%, and enhanced soluble dietary fiber contents from 6.1-7.8% to 7.4-10.3%. Infrared treatments did not alter the primary limiting amino acid of Greenstar and Imvincible lentil flours (tryptophan) but changed that of Maxim to methionine + cysteine at 150 °C heating. Regarding micronutrients, the thermal modifications decreased the levels of heat-labile B vitamins, including B

In this study the multiple metal(loid) (As, Cd, Cu and Ni) resistant bacterium Serratia sp. KUJM3 was able to grow in both single and multiple metal(loid) contaminated wastewater and removed them by 34.93-48.80% and 22.93-32%, respectively. It reduced As(v) to As(III) by 68.44-85.06% in a concentration dependent manner. The strain's IAA production potential increased significantly under both metal(loid)s regime. The lentil (Lens culinaris) seed germination and seed production were enhanced with the exogenous bacterial inoculation by 20.39 and 16.43%, respectively. Under both multi-metal(loid) regimes the bacterial inoculation promoted shoot length (22.65-51.34%), shoot dry weight (33.89-66.11%) and seed production (13.46-35%). Under bacterial manipulation the metal(loid)s immobilization increased with concomitant curtailment of translocation in lentil plant by 61.89-75.14% and 59.19-71.14% in shoot and seed, respectively. The strain biomineralized struvite (MgNH

One of the challenges in substituting dairy products by alternative proteins is that the properties of mixed protein gels cannot necessarily be predicted by those of single protein gels, whereas the need of mixing is often driven by nutritional aspects. However, mixing plant proteins could also open a door to new textures. The main goal of this study was to investigate the impact of binary mixing of hemp (H), yellow pea (P), and brown lentil (L) protein concentrates/isolates on their gel and water-holding properties. Dispersions of reconstituted proteins and mixtures thereof were gelled using glucono-δ-lactone (GDL), transglutaminase (TG), and temperature (T) at a protein content of 12% (w/w). Mixtures of pea and lentil proteins showed gel strengths for TG- and T-induced gels that are proportional to the ratio of the mixture constituents (linear mixing behavior), whereas synergistic effects were observed for GDL-induced gelation. In contrast, all mixtures containing hemp exhibited a non-linear mixing behavior for the three gelation methods, usually resulting in lower gel strengths compared to theoretically expected values. The study showed that mixing plant-based proteins of different protein sources can lead to very different mixing behaviors in terms of gel properties, showing either a reinforcing, an indifferent or a weakening effect compared to the theoretically expected properties. The results can help developing more targeted plant protein-based soft gel products such as yogurt alternatives with specific techno-functional properties, while adjusting the nutritional characteristics.

Widespread use of plastics and mishandling has resulted in severe environmental issues affecting seed germination and seedling growth. This study investigates the effect of polyethylene microplastics (740-4990 nm PEMPs) on lentil (Lens culinaris) seed germination and seedling growth using Biospeckle Optical Coherence Tomography (bOCT), a technique that we successfully demonstrated earlier in visualizing the internal activity of plants. Lentil seeds were exposed to PEMPs bioassay for seven days with 10, 50, and 100 mg L

Chemical composition, thermal, pasting, and moisture adsorption properties of flours from chickpea (Cicer aretinium L.), lentil (Lens culinaris Merr.), and yellow pea (Pisum sativum L.) were investigated over a 6-day germination. Protein content increased for pulses over germination while lentil had the highest protein content that increased from 30.65 to 33.60 g/100 g dry basis (d.b.). Lipid content in pulse flours decreased over germination with chickpea having the greatest decline, i.e. from 8.00 to 5.90 g/100 g (d.b.). Total starch decreased in lentil and yellow pea flours during germination, while there was no significant change (p > 0.05) in germinated chickpea flours. Thermal properties of pulse flours changed slightly, while pasting properties varied among pulses. The highest final viscosities for chickpea, lentil, and yellow pea flours were 1061, 981, and 1052 cP and were observed after 2, 1, and 0 days of germination, respectively. Moisture adsorption isotherms showed improved water adsorption capability after germination.

Starches isolated from pumpkin fruits, lentil and quinoa seeds were used to prepare edible films. Physicochemical, thermal and mechanical properties of films were determined and compared with potato-based starch (PS) film. It was found that botanical origin of starch has a crucial effect on the films properties. The much lower solubility and higher swelling capacity compared to PS film exhibited lentil and pumpkin starch-based films, respectively. All of the films exhibited significantly higher water vapor permeability compared to PS one. Tensile strength and elongation at break of the films varied between 8.98 and 13.85 MPa, and 3.35 to 4.44%, respectively. All of the films acted as a solid-like materials with prevalently elastic behavior and exhibited endothermic peaks in DSC measurement in the range of 249–281 °C, referred to the melting of films. This study demonstrated that starches from non-conventional sources are good alternative to conventional to develop edible films.

Menorrhagia is a regular menstrual cycle lasting more than seven days and/or blood loss over 80 mL per cycle. One of the herbs recommended in Iranian traditional medicine for menorrhagia treatment is lentil savigh, which is the flour made from roasted lentil (Lens culinaris medic).The current randomized clinical trial was conducted on 54 patients within the age range of 18 to 50 years randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group took three 10-gram lentil savigh sachets in the morning. The control group was treated with 500 mg tranexamic acid capsule every eight hours, both from the first day of menstruation for seven days. Patient's bleeding was evaluated by the pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC), before and in each of the three treatment cycles. Quality of life was evaluated by the menorrhagia questionnaire (MQ) at the beginning and the end of the study for each patient.The mean (SD) of PBAC scores significantly decreased before and after three cycles from 383.5(163) to 222.1(128.6) in the lentil savigh group (P 0.0001), and from 333.8(141.3) to 239.1(132.6) in the tranexamic acid group (P 0.0001). There was no significant difference between the two groups (P 0.6). Quality of life significantly improved in the lentil savigh group from 61.5(12.3) to 34.4(14.6) in comparison with that of the tranexamic acid group changing from 56.3(11.1) to 46.8(12.7) (P 0.004).Both products were effective in menstrual bleeding reduction, but lentil savigh improved the quality of life more effectively. Therefore, lentil savigh, as a functional food, could be introduced as a good initial choice for menorrhagia treatment.

The changes of flavour profiles in lentil protein isolate (LPI) in response to organic solvent treatments (acetone, ethanol, and isopropanol; 35-95% v/v), and the resulting impacts on the isolate colour and physicochemical and functional attributes were investigated. The major constituents of volatile compounds were aldehydes (∼46.59%) and (E,E)-3,5-octadien-2-one (∼31.79%) in the untreated LPI. Acetone treatment greatly raised ketones by ∼79.59%. In contrast, ethanol and isopropanol, except at 95% (v/v), significantly lowered total volatile compounds and had higher protein contents (∼84.55%) than the others (∼76.98%); surface charge, surface hydrophobicity, solubility and emulsion stability of these LPIs were examined. LPIs obtained from 75% (v/v) ethanol and isopropanol treatments showed slightly lower solubility but improved surface hydrophobicity to produce emulsions with a similar stability as compared with the untreated LPI. Overall, ethanol and isopropanol treatments (75% v/v) produced high quality off-flavour-reduced LPIs which may be used in various food systems.

This study aimed to isolate starches of a high purity from starch-rich pea, lentil and faba bean flours and to characterize and compare the isolated starches with important commercial starches. Isolated pulse starches had a purity of 94.8-97.9% and contained only 0.9-1.1% damaged starch. The isolated pulse starches showed amylose contents and amylopectin branch-chain-length distributions similar to those of commercial pea starch. Therefore, the granular morphologies, crystalline structure, thermal properties, pasting properties, gelling ability and in vitro digestibility of the isolated pulse starches were comparable to those of commercial pea starch but different from those of commercial maize and tapioca starches. The desirable functionality of the pulse starches (e.g., strong gelling ability) renders them suitable for some specific industrial applications, and further modifications can be utilized to enhance their functionality for broader use. This research provided the fundamental knowledge required for future efforts to promote value-added utilization of pulse starches.

Fabaceae is well-known for its seed nutritious and bioactive composition as exemplified by Lupinus and Lens. Developing efficient analytical approaches for profiling their bioactive matrix is a prerequisite to provide proof for their health benefits or nutritive traits. Eight Lupinus and Lens seed accessions were subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)-based metabolomic study, which identified 66 metabolites, viz. flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, phenolics, fatty acids and sphingolipids. Chemometric tools were explored to assess heterogeneity across the two genera leading to elucidation of the species-most enriched and differential metabolites. The two dark-colored lentil cultivars are identified as the richest source of functional foods with presumed therapeutic benefits; however, Lupinus hispanicus was proved to be the most nutritive accession. To our knowledge, this study provides the first UPLC-MS-based comparative metabolite profiling of Lupinus and Lens seeds. This platform was also able to discern metabolites diversity at the intraspecific level among Lupinus species and Lens cultivars.

(Cellular) pulse powders are being proposed as ingredients for different foods. However, the effect of manufacturing conditions on the properties of those powders remained unknown. Therefore, this study inves- tigated the effect of specific manufacturing conditions (cooking time, application of cell isolation, and drying method) on the composition, microstructure, and in vitro starch and protein digestibility of lentil powders. Next to powders consisting of isolated cotyledon cells (ICC), this study proposes the production of precooked whole lentil powders (WL), without a cellular isolation step. In a model food system (heat-treated suspension), starch and protein digestion were significantly attenuated for both WL and ICC compared to raw-milled lentil flour. The applied cooking time determined macronutrient digestibility in the powders by (i) affecting the susceptibility of ICC to in vitro digestion, and (ii) determining the microstructural properties of WL. Freeze-dried ICC powder showed a stronger attenuation of amylolysis compared air-dried ICC. This study showed that WL powders have an important potential as innovative food ingredients higher in fiber but lower in starch compared to ICC. ispartof: Food Research International vol:158 issue:August 2022 ispartof: location:Canada status: Published online

Due to its high nutritional value and increasing consumption trends, plant-based proteins were used in a variety of dietary products, either in their entirety or as partial substitutions. There is indeed a growing need to produce plant-based proteins as alternatives to dairy-based proteins that have good functional properties, high nutritional values, and high protein digestibility. Among the plant-based proteins, both lentil and quinoa proteins received a lot of attention in recent years as dairy-based protein alternatives. To ensure plant-based proteins a success in food applications, food industries and researchers need to have a comprehensive scientific understanding of these proteins. The demand for proteins is highly dependent on several factors, mainly functional properties, nutritional values, and protein digestibility. Fermentation and protein complexation are recognised to be suitable techniques in enhancing the functional properties, nutritional values, and protein digestibility of these plant-based proteins, making them potential alternatives for dairy-based proteins.

Extreme temperature is one of the serious threats to crop production in present and future scenarios of global climate changes. Lentil (Lens culinaris) is an important crop, and there is a serious lack of genetic information regarding environmental and temperature stresses responses. This study is the first report of evaluation of key genes and molecular mechanisms related to temperature stresses in lentil using the RNA sequencing technique. De novo transcriptome assembly created 44,673 contigs and differential gene expression analysis revealed 7494 differentially expressed genes between the temperature stresses and control group. Basic annotation of generated transcriptome assembly in our study led to the identification of 2765 novel transcripts that have not been identified yet in lentil genome draft v1.2. In addition, several unigenes involved in mechanisms of temperature sensing, calcium and hormone signaling and DNA-binding transcription factor activity were identified. Also, common mechanisms in response to temperature stresses, including the proline biosynthesis, the photosynthetic light reactions balancing, chaperone activity and circadian rhythms, are determined by the hub genes through the protein-protein interaction networks analysis. Deciphering the mechanisms of extreme temperature tolerance would be a new way for developing crops with enhanced plasticity against climate change. In general, this study has identified set of mechanisms and various genes related to cold and heat stresses which will be useful in better understanding of the lentil's reaction to temperature stresses.

Lentil protein isolate (LPI) was conjugated with plant polyphenols (quercetin, rutin, ellagic acid), and the structural and functional characteristics of the conjugates were determined in comparison with the proteins and pure polyphenols. The interaction between polyphenols and protein was achieved by a grafting method at pH 9.0 in the presence of atmospheric oxygen. Surface plasmon resonance measurements showed polyphenols’ direct interaction with LPI, with the order of binding strength quercetin > ellagic acid > rutin. The degree of conjugation also followed the same order. Structural analysis of the conjugates was performed using FTIR, intrinsic fluorescence, and surface hydrophobicity. A significant improvement in DPPḢ radical scavenging and ferric reducing antioxidant power of the conjugates was observed compared to the polyphenols. However, there was a decrease in the surface activity of the conjugates compared to LPI. Such conjugation provides a novel way to combine the advantages of using plant protein and polyphenols in developing a novel food ingredient.

WOS: 000436216200003 PubMed ID: 29783108 This study investigates aberrations caused by barium and vanadium on meristematic cells of Lens culinaris Medik. Barium and vanadium ions at various concentrations (0.05 M, 0.1 M, 0.25 M, 0.5 M, and 1.0 M) were exposed to the seeds of the plant at fixed time interval (12 h). After seedlings, with a microscopic examination images were captured about the root tips. Those images showed that several abnormalities occurred on the plant such as chromosome breakings, chromosome dispersion, bridge chromosome, chromosome adherence, ring chromosome. Variety and number of abnormalities were counted and compared to each other statistically. The results show an increase in abnormalities caused by for both ions with increasing treatment time. Chromosome adherence and chromosome breaking have reverse relationship in which number of occurrence for one of them decreases with increase on other one. Fish bone and chromosome adherence have a positive relationship in which number of one increases with the raise in other's number. Exposed metals have caused formation of ligands with proteins which can prevent the persistence of metal ions in DNA protein cross-links that are involved in DNA formation process.

peer-reviewed With the goal of optimising a protein-enriched restructured beef steak targeted at the nutritional and chemosensory requirements of older adults, technological performance of thirty formulations, containing plant-based ingredients, pea protein isolate (PPI), rice protein (RP) and lentil flour (LF) with transglutaminase (TG) to enhance binding of meat pieces, were analysed. Maximal protein content of 28% in cooked product was achieved with PPI, RP and LF. Binding strength was primarily affected by TG, while textural parameters were improved with LF inclusion. Optimal formulation (F) to obtain a protein-enriched steak with lowest hardness values was achieved with TG (2%), PPI (8%), RP (9.35%) and LF (4%). F, F1S (optimal formulation 1 with added seasoning) and control restructured products (not containing plant proteins or seasonings) were scored by 120 consumers' aged over-65 years. Controls were most preferred (P

The efficient production of saponin-rich extracts is of increasing interest due to the bioactive properties that have being demonstrated for these compounds. However, saponins have a poor bioavailability. In this respect, the knowledge about the bioaccessibility of saponins as a first step before bioavailability has been scarcely explored. In this study, the production of ultrasound-assisted extracts of saponins from edible seeds (quinoa, soybean, red lentil, fenugreek and lupin) was carried out with ethanol, ethanol:water or water. Extraction yield, total saponin (TSC), fat and total phenolics content (TPC) were determined. Then, the bioaccessibility of saponins after the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the extracts was determined and the effect of TPC and fat in the extracts on bioaccessibility was evaluated. The highest saponin-rich extracts were obtained by ethanol, being fenugreek and red lentil the richest extracts (12% and 10%, respectively). Saponins from ethanol:water extracts displayed variable bioaccessibility (from 13% for fenugreek to 83% for lentil), but a bioaccessibility closer to 100% was reached for all ethanol extracts. Correlation studies showed that TPC of the extracts negatively affected the bioaccessibility of saponins, whereas fat of the extracts enhanced this parameter. As summary, ultrasound-assisted extraction is shown as an efficient method for obtaining saponin-rich extracts from edible seeds, being ethanol the most advantageous solvent due to the richness of saponins and the successful bioaccessibility from these extracts, likely caused by the co-extracted fat with ethanol. Regardless of the extracts, phenolic compounds or fat may hinder or enhance the bioaccessibility of saponins, respectively. Additionally, an adequate balance between saponins to lipids has shown to be relevant on such an effect., This work was supported by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, Spain (AGL2016-76736-C3-1-R) and the Community of Madrid, Spain (ALIBIRD-CM S2013/ABI-2728). Joaquín Navarro del Hierro thanks the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte for funding his research with a FPU predoctoral contract (FPU 15/04236). Teresa Herrera thanks the Community of Madrid for her contract (Fondo Social Europeo, Programa Operativo de Empleo Juvenil e Iniciativa de Empleo Juvenil YEI).

Background The postprandial blood glucose response (PBGR) following carbohydrate replacement of high-glycemic index (GI) foods with pulses, in a mixed meal, has not been accurately defined. Objective We aimed to determine the extent to which PBGR and relative glycemic response (RGR) are lowered when half of the available carbohydrate (AC) from rice or potato is replaced with cooked lentils. Methods Using a crossover design, 2 groups of 24 healthy adults randomly consumed 50 g AC from control white rice alone [mean ± SD body mass index (BMI, in kg/m2): 24.3 ± 0.5; mean ± SD age: 27.7 ± 1.2 y], instant potato alone (BMI: 24.0 ± 0.5; age: 27.4 ± 1.2 y), or the same starch source in a 50:50 AC combination with each of 3 types of commercially available lentils (large green, small green, split red). Fasting and postprandial blood samples were analyzed for glucose and insulin, and used to derive incremental area under the curve (iAUC), RGR, and maximum concentration (Cmax). Treatment effects were assessed with the use of repeated-measures ANOVA within the rice and potato treatments. Results In comparison to rice alone, blood glucose iAUC and Cmax (P

In order to determine the effect of extrusion, baking and cooking on the protein quality of red and green lentils, a rodent bioassay was conducted and compared to an in vitro method of protein quality determination. On average, the Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score of red lentils (55.0) was higher than that of green lentils (50.8). Extruded lentil flour had higher scores (63.01 red, 57.09 green) than either cooked (57.40 red, 52.92 green) or baked (53.84 red, 47.14 green) flours. The average Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score of red lentils (0.54) was higher than green lentils (0.49). The Protein Efficiency Ratio of the extruded lentil flours (1.30 red, 1.34 green) was higher than that of the baked flour (0.98 red, 1.09 green). A correlation was found between in vivo and in vitro methods of determining protein digestibility (R2=0.8934). This work could influence selection of processing method during product development.

The formation, stability and rheology of 5wt% oil-in-water nanoemulsions as a function of lentil protein isolate concentration (0.5-5wt%) at pH 3.0 was investigated for 28days. All nanoemulsions, except 1wt% protein, showed bimodal droplet size distribution where the larger diameter peak was ascribed to protein aggregates and entrapped oil droplets. The average droplet size for all nanoemulsions measured from the lower diameter peak ranged from 161 to 357nm, which did not change over 28days. Stable flowable nanoemulsions were formed at 1-2wt% protein concentrations. Nanoemulsions with 3 and 5wt% protein formed strong non-flowable gels which showed a two-step yielding behavior during strain-sweep rheology, indicating gel formation by interconnected clusters of proteins and oil droplets. This study demonstrated that lentil protein has a potential to be utilized as an emulsifier in nanoemulsions, as well as in the formation of emulsion gels at higher protein concentrations.

Legumes are the main sources of folates which are not synthesized in the human body. The five folate species: 5-methyl tetrahydrofolate, tetrahydrofolate, pteroyl glutamate, 5-formyl tetrahydrofolate and 10-formyl tetrahydrofolate were quantitatively determined in legumes seeds and sprouts by a newly developed and validated high performance thin layer chromatography method. High resolution plate imaging hyphenated to mass spectrometry was exploited for fingerprint analysis of tested samples. Results indicated that germination of all seeds resulted in a 2.5–4 fold increase in the content of total folates as well as the individual vitamers. The total amount of folate reached a maximum on the fifth day in the case of black-eyed peas (861 μg/100 g Fresh Weight), white beans (755 μg/100 g FW) and brown lentils (681 μg/100 g FW). 5-CH3-H4 folate was found to be the most dominating folate species reaching its maximum content in day 5 sprouts of black-eyed peas (490 μg/100 g FW).

Red lentils (Lens culinaris) present an attractive raw material for meat mimics due to its red-coloured proteins, abundance, high protein and low cost. However, data on its functional properties at various pH remain scarce. In this study, the physicochemical and functional properties of red lentil proteins (RLP) from three origins (USA, Nepal and Turkey), isolated by isoelectric precipitation, were evaluated. Amino acid profiles, water holding (ranging from 3.1 to 3.5 g/g) and oil absorption (ranging from 5.8 to 7.3 g/g) capacities of RLP samples were significantly different (p 0.05). RLP consisted of legumin and vicilin, and comprised predominantly glutamine/glutamic acid (ranging from 8.72 to 10.55 g/100 g). Surface charge, protein solubility, foaming and emulsifying properties were the lowest and poorest at pH 5.2 (isoelectric point). Overall, good functional properties of RLP under high acidity and alkalinity conditions make it a promising protein for mimicking a wide range of meats.

Knowledge on the functional and nutritional properties of wet roasted pulses can increase the utilization of processed pulses as ingredients in food products. This study investigated the effects of tempering different pulse [chickpea (CP), green lentil (GL), navy bean (NB) and yellow pea (YP)] seeds to 20 or 30% moisture prior to roasting (160℃ for 30 min) on the functional properties and nutritional quality of their resulting flours. The surface charge of each pulse remained the same (p 0.05) after wet roasting and there were no significant (p 0.05) differences between the different raw pulse flours. The oil holding capacity (OHC) of GL (~2 g/g) was not improved by wet roasting (p 0.05) whereas the other pulses generally had better OHC for one or both of the tempering moistures used prior to roasting. Foaming properties of all pulses decreased after heat treatment with the exception of both foaming capacity (107%) and stability (~71%) for GL tempered to 20% moisture prior to roasting (p 0.05). Raw GL had inferior foaming properties compared to the other raw pulse flours (p 0.001). Emulsion properties of the wet roasted pulses were similar to those of the control (raw flour) for each pulse. Solubility decreased with roasting regardless of the tempering moisture (p 0.05) whereas in general the in vitro protein digestibility increased. Small improvements (2.4-6.9% increase) in the in vitro protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score were found for GL and NB tempered to 20% moisture before roasting and roasted YP at either moisture content (p 0.05). Wet roasting increased (p 0.05) the rapidly digestible starch content, more so with a tempering moisture of 30%. Overall the results from this study will allow for the utilization of wet roasted pulses as ingredients based on their functional properties and protein quality.

Emulsion-based delivery systems are being developed to incorporate ω-3 fatty acids into functional foods and beverages. There is interest in formulating these delivery systems from more sustainable and label-friendly ingredients. The aim of this study was therefore to examine the impact of plant-protein emulsifiers on the oxidative stability of 1wt% fish oil-in-water emulsions. Fish oil emulsions stabilized by three types of legume protein (lentil, pea, and faba bean) were produced using a high-pressure microfluidizer. The formation of primary (peroxides) and secondary (TBARS) lipid oxidation products was measured when the emulsions were stored at 37°C under accelerated (+100μM iron sulfate) or non-accelerated (no added iron) conditions for 21 or 33days, respectively. The particle size, charge and microstructure of the emulsions were monitored during storage using light scattering and microscopy to detect changes in physical stability. Emulsions stabilized by whey protein isolate, a commonly used animal-based protein, were utilized as a control. The emulsions formed using whey protein had smaller initial particle sizes, better physical stability, and slightly better stability to lipid oxidation than the ones formed using plant-based proteins. The impact of protein location (adsorbed versus non-adsorbed) on the oxidative stability of the emulsions was also investigated. The presence of non-adsorbed proteins inhibited lipid oxidation, presumably by binding transition metals and reducing their ability to interact with ω-3 fatty acids in the lipid droplets. Overall, these results have important implications for fabricating emulsion-based delivery systems for bioactive lipids, e.g., they indicate that including high levels of non-adsorbed proteins could improve oxidative stability.

Silicon (Si) has been widely reported to have beneficial effect on mitigating drought stress in plants. However, the effect of Si on seed germination under drought conditions is still poorly understood. This research was carried out to ascertain the role of Si to abate polyethylene glycol-6000 mediated drought stress on seed germination and seedling growth of lentil. Results showed that drought stress significantly decreased the seed germination traits and increased the concentration of osmolytes (proline, glycine betaine and soluble sugars), reactive oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion) and lipid peroxides in lentil seedlings. The activities of hydrolytic enzymes and antioxidant enzymes increased significantly under osmotic stress. The application of Si significantly enhanced the plants ability to withstand drought stress conditions through increased Si content, improved antioxidants, hydrolytic enzymes activity, decreased concentration of osmolytes and reactive oxygen species. Multivariate data analysis showed statistically significant correlations among the drought-tolerance traits, whereas cluster analysis categorised the genotypes into distinct groups based on their drought-tolerance levels and improvements in expression of traits due to Si application. Thus, these results showed that Si supplementation of lentil was effective in alleviating the detrimental effects of drought stress on seed germination and increased seedling vigour.

Starch isolated from lentil was subjected to two treatments namely sonication and, a dual treatment of sonication and irradiation at a dose of 5 kGy. Lentil yielded 26.12 ± 1.56 g starch/100 g of lentil. Chemical composition of native starch revealed 7.83 ± 0.28% moisture, 0.23 ± 0.30% protein, 0.35 ± 0.05% fat and 0.10 ± 0.00% ash. The results revealed that pasting properties of lentil starch were not affected upon sonication. However, these decreased significantly (p ≤ 0.05) upon dual treatments. Amylose content of native starch was 31.16 ± 1.80 g/100 g which showed a decrease upon sonication and dual treatments. Sonication and dual treatments (sonication and irradiation) decreased hunter ‘L’ value while ‘a’ and ‘b’ values showed an increase. Syneresis decreased more or less insignificantly upon sonication. However, a significant decrease in syneresis was observed after 120 h storage following dual treatments. Sonication did not decrease the functional properties significantly while as dual treatment induced a significant decrease in functional properties. FT-IR analysis revealed a decrease in the intensities of O H, C H and O C stretches and CH2 bending upon sonication and dual treatments.

The objective was to identify peptides with dual antioxidant and angiotensin I converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activities released from lentil proteins by Savinase®. The influence of gastrointestinal digestion on peptide bioactivity was also assayed. Fragments from vicilin, convicilin and legumin were the most abundant peptides identified. Peptides LLSGTQNQPSFLSGF, NSLTLPILRYL, TLEPNSVFLPVLLH showed the highest antioxidant (0.013–1.432 μmol Trolox eq./μmol peptide) and ACE inhibitory activities (IC = 44–120 μM). Gastrointestinal digestion of peptides improved their dual activity (10–14 μmol Trolox eq./μmol peptide; IC = 11–21 μM). In general, C-terminal heptapeptide was crucial for their dual activity. ACE inhibition relies on the formation of hydrogen bonds between C-terminal residues of lentil peptides and residues of the ACE catalytic site. The present study helps clarifying the relationship between structure and dual antioxidant/antihypertensive activity of lentil peptides opening new opportunities to food industry such as the application of lentil protein hydrolysates as ingredients for development of functional foods., This work was supported by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, Spain) and FEDER programme from the European Commission (grant numbers AGL2013-43247-R, AGL2010-16310 and BFU2012-39092-C02-02). E. P. and P. G-M. acknowledge Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and European Social Fund for their “Ramón y Cajal” and FPI contracts, respectively.

Vicia sativa (common vetch), which contains beta-cyanoalanine (BCA) and c-glutamyl beta-cyanoalanine (cGBCA) is used for adulteration of lentil and have neuro toxic effects on people and animals. Therefore the determination of BCA and gamma GBCA analytes in accurate and reliable manner has high importance for human and animal health. LC-IDMS/MS method has been developed and validated for quantitative analyses of beta-cyanoalanine and C-13 labeled BCA is used as an internal standard in gamma GBCA analysis. In order to validate the method, linearity, recovery, precision (repeatability), intermediate precision, limit of detection, and limit of quantification parameters were investigated. The correlation coefficient was found to be greater than 0.99 for both analytes. The recoveriess were determined as 95.8% for BCA and 97.4% for gamma GBCA. The relative expanded measurement uncertainties of beta-cyanoalanine and gamma-glutamyl-beta-cyanoalanine were obtained as 4.6% and 5.8%, respectively with the coverage factor, k, is 2 and at 95% confidence level. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background Dietary modification helps prevent and manage Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) in humans and Nile rats. Specifically fibrous legumes, like lentils, benefit humans, but whether this reflects a specific change in the Glycemic Load (GLoad) remains controversial. Accordingly, low-GLoad foods were tested in the glucose-sensitive Nile rat. Methods 131 male Nile rats aged 3 weeks to 15 months were challenged during four experiments with 15 dietary exposures that varied Glycemic Index (GI, 36–88), GLoad (102–305/2000 kcal), and cumulative GLoad ( Cum GLoad=days×GLoad, 181–537g total glucose). Results Lentil diets with low GLoads (102, 202) prevented, delayed, reduced, even reversed the progress of MetS and T2DM as measured by blood glucose (fasting, random, and oral glucose tolerance test) and plasma lipid parameters (plasma cholesterol and triglycerides) plus necropsy findings (liver and kidney pathology plus adipose reserves). The benefit from lentils exceeded dietary factors such as macronutrient composition (%Energy from carbohydrate:fat:protein, between 70:10:20 to 40:40:20), total fiber (0–24%), or dietary caloric density (2.9–4.7 kcal/g). The benefit of a low GLoad applied equally to rats inherently susceptible or resistant to T2DM, based on random glucose above or below 75 mg/dl, respectively, during interventions of 7-17 weeks. Conclusions Measuring total food intake and the novel concept of Cum GLoad during growth generated strong correlations (up to r=0.93) between Cum GLoad and parameters of MetS and T2DM, especially during sexual maturation. The present experiments confirm the applicability of male Nile rats to diet-induced human T2DM, and suggest dietary compositions to deter MetS and T2DM in humans.

The overall goal was to encapsulate canola oil using a mixture of lentil protein isolate and maltodextrin with/without lecithin and/or sodium alginate by spray drying. Initially, emulsion and microcapsule properties as a function of oil (20%-30%), protein (2%-8%) and maltodextrin concentration (9.5%-18%) were characterized by emulsion stability, droplet size, viscosity, surface oil and entrapment efficiency. Microcapsules with 20% oil, 2% protein and 18% maltodextrin were shown to have the highest entrapment efficiency, and selected for further re-design using different preparation conditions and wall ingredients (lentil protein isolate, maltodextrin, lecithin and/or sodium alginate). The combination of the lentil protein, maltodextrin and sodium alginate represented the best wall material to produce microcapsules with the highest entrapment efficiency (∼88%). The lentil protein-maltodextrin-alginate microcapsules showed better oxidative stability and had a stronger wall structure than the lentil protein-maltodextrin microcapsules.

PGPBs-legumes associations represent an alternative procedure for phytostabilisation of heavy metals polluted soils mainly generated by industrial and agricultural practices. In this study we evaluated the capacity of Vicia faba, Lens culinaris and Sulla coronaria, inoculated in situ by specific heavy metals resistant inocula, for the phytostabilisation of copper, lead and cadmium respectively. The experimentation was performed in mine tailings of northern Tunisia. Results proved that inoculation enhanced roots and shoots biomass production of faba bean by 14% and 12%, respectively, and significantly improved pods yield by 91%. In lentil, the inoculation ameliorated shoot biomass up to 27%. The highest nitrogen fixation was recorded by Sulla coronaria . The three symbioses accumulated heavy metals essentially in roots, and poorly in shoots. In addition, cadmium accumulation in roots of inoculated sulla was enhanced by 39%. Furthermore, inoculations decreased heavy metals availability in the soil up to −10% of Cu and −47% of Pb respectively in roots of faba bean and lentil. Our results suggested a positive effect of co-inoculation of legumes by appropriate heavy metals resistant PGPBs for the phytostabilisation of mine tailings. Elsewhere, the enhancement in the antioxidant enzymes activities demonstrated the role of the three inocula to alleviate the heavy metals induced stress.

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major cause of death worldwide, and arsenic (As) intake, mainly through drinking water, is a well-known risk factor for CVD as well as other health problems. Selenium (Se) is a known antagonist to As toxicity. Objective: We tested the potential of high-Se lentils from the Canadian prairies as a therapeutic food to alter the outcome of As-enhanced atherosclerosis. Materials and Methods: Male ApoE−/− mice exposed to a moderate level of As (200 ppb) in their drinking water, and control mice on tap water received one of three lentil diets: Se-deficient (0.009 mg/kg), Se-adequate (0.16 mg/kg) or Se-high (0.3 mg/kg). After 13 weeks, lesion formation in the aortic arch and sinus were assessed. Intralesional cellular composition, serum lipid levels and hepatic oxidative stress were assessed as well. Results: Arsenic-exacerbated plaque formation was reduced in the sinus and completely abolished in the aortic arch of mice on the Se-fortified lentil diet, whereas lesions were increased in As-exposed mice on both the Se-deficient and Se-adequate diets. Notably, Se deficiency contributed to proatherogenic composition of serum lipids in As-exposed mice as indicated by high-density lipoprotein:low-density lipoprotein. At least adequate Se status was crucial for counteracting As-induced oxidative stress. Conclusion: This study is the first to show the potential of high-Se lentils to protect against As-triggered atherosclerosis, and this invites further investigations in human populations at risk from As contamination of their drinking water.

Lentils are an important member of the nutritious Leguminous crops, and the functional properties of lentil flours can be effectively improved by infrared heating, an efficient and short-time thermal processing method. This research primarily focused on the effects of tempering time (24–96 h) and seed size on the modification of lentils using infrared heating. Lentil seeds of three varieties, including CDC Greenstar (large green), CDC Imvincible (small green), and CDC Maxim (small red), were tempered at 25% moisture for 24, 48 and 96 h and then infrared heated to a surface temperature of 130 and 150 °C. Overall, under the same infrared heating treatment, a longer tempering period and a smaller seed size led to greater degrees of starch gelatinization and protein denaturation. In addition, a smaller seed size and a higher surface temperature tended to cause a higher level of photodegradation of amylose (possibly amylopectin too). Due to these physicochemical changes, the combined treatment of tempering and infrared heating noticeably reduced the average particle sizes, enhanced the water-holding capacity, diminished the peak and final viscosities, and decreased the gel hardness of the processed lentil flours. Generally, more obvious effects were found with higher levels of starch gelatinization, protein denaturation, and breakdown of amylose. The present study advanced our understanding of how extended tempering and seed size influenced the techno-functional properties of lentil flours modified using infrared heating. The new findings from the research are meaningful for the utilization of infrared heating to process lentil seeds for the development of novel food ingredients.

The food industry is increasingly innovating and applying new processing technologies and ingredients to develop novel food products that meet the consumers’ demand. In this study, the effect of extrusion (at 140 °C and 160 °C) was evaluated in different lentil flours formulations enriched with nutritional yeast, in terms of α-galactosides (raffinose, stachyose, verbascose), inositol phosphates (IPs), trypsin inhibitors and lectins content. The content of α-galactosides and IPs was determined by high performance liquid chromatography. Trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA) was evaluated using a small-scale quantitative assay. The lectin content was analyzed using a haemagglutination assay and a Competitive Indirect Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Extrusion promoted a significant increase, up to 85% in total α-galactosides content. After extrusion, IPs content was significantly decreased and TIA as well as lectins content had a reduction higher than 90%. Extrusion demonstrated to have a beneficial effect by increasing desirable prebiotic compounds and decreasing non-nutritional factors.

Present work describes the purification of an acidic β-galactosidase from Lens culinaris (Lsbgal) to homogeneity via 857 fold with specific activity of 87 U/mg. The molecular mass of purified Lsbgal was estimated ~ 76 kDa by Size Exclusion Chromatography on Superdex-200 (AKTA purifier) and on SDS-PAGE, showed hetero-dimeric subunits i.e. 45 kDa and 30 kDa. The purified Lsbgal showed glycoproteinous nature when applied to Con-A Sepharose chromatography. Biochemical studies revealed that optimum condition for purified Lsbgal against o, nitophenyl β- d -galactopyranoside (ONPG) as a substrate was pH 3.0, 58 °C with an activation energy (Ea) 8.1 kcal/mole and Q10 1.8. Lsbgal hydrolyses ONPG with Km value 1.21 mM and Vmax 90.90 µmoles/min/mg. Purified Lsbgal when incubated with high lactose concentration showed transgalactosylation activity which lead to the formation of trisaccharides as a major product of total GOS. Therefore, the purified Lsbgal could be used as potential alternative in food industry and would be further explicated for trisaccharides synthesis.

The present investigation was designed to monitor the cytotoxic potential of Sodium Hypochlorite using lentil (Lens culinaris) as a bioindicator of toxicity. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), is a chemical compound that is used mainly for its disinfectant properties, its effect is widely toxic, which is why it is marketed in low concentrations and it is also a component in various products such as agrochemicals. In the present study the L. culinaris seeds were exposed to different NaClO dose 0, 0.2, 1, 3, 5 and 7 mg L−1 during 24, 48 and 72 h; timeslots in which the root growth was also studied. The cytotoxic potential of NaClO was determined by calculating the mitotic index (MI), calculating cellular anomalies (CA) and observing the longitudinal growth of the roots during the various time periods. The radicular growth was prolonged and it was observed that there was a greater growth at the dose of 1 and 7 mg L−1 in the time of 72 h. The cytotoxic effects could be analyzed in the mitotic index, since the higher the concentration, the lower the mitotic index, as observed in the dose of 7 mg L−1 where a reduction of the mitotic index of the meristematic cells is observed. The results indicate that NaClO has a cytotoxic effect that induces various types of chromosomal abnormalities. This indicates that Sodium Hypochlorite has a cytotoxic effect according to the increase in its dose. Therefore, Lens culinaris turned out to be a kind of appropriate bioindicator to study the cytotoxic effects of various potentially toxic substances.

The effects of germination of selected legumes and further storage of sprouts under cool conditions on the phenolics, antioxidant activity and starch content and their potential bioaccessibility were elucidated. In green pea and mung bean sprouts a slight increase of chemically extractable phenolics (including flavonoids) during the first 4 days of sprouting was observed. Digestion in vitro released phenolics; however, flavonoids were poorly bioaccessible. Storage of green pea sprouts decreased reducing power and increased the antiradical ability. Reducing potential of potentially bioaccessible fraction of stored lentil sprouts was elevated of 40%, 31% and 23% in 3-, 4- and 5-day-old sprouts, respectively. Postharvest storage significantly increases the starch digestibility and values of expected glycemic index (eGI)--the highest eGIs were determined for 5-day-old stored sprouts; 75.17-green pea, 83.18-lentil and 89.87-mung bean. Bioactivity and nutritional quality of legumes is affected by sprouting and further storage at low temperatures.

This study evaluates the optimal conditions for elicitation with H2O2 for improving the antioxidant capacity of lentil sprouts. Generally, except for 3-day-old sprouts, elicitation increased phenolic content (in respect to the control). The highest phenolic content was determined for 2-day-old sprouts treated with 15 mM H2O2 (0.71 mg/g f.m.). All the studied modifications increased the antioxidant potential of sprouts. The highest elevation (3.2-fold) was found for 5-day-old sprouts (single 15 mM H2O2 treatment). A significant increase was also found on the 2nd and 4th days (2.13- and 2.14-fold, respectively). Elicitation induced tyrosine and phenylalanine ammonia-lyases activities. H2O2 treatments induced the activity of catalase – especially for 2-day-old sprouts treated with 150 mM H2O2 (597 U/g f.m.). Elicitation with H2O2 is a useful tool for designing some features of sprouts. Phenolic content and antioxidant capacity are strongly affected by concentration of the elicitor, and time and intervals of its application.

Phenolic extracts from 20 Canadian lentil cultivars (Lens culinaris) were evaluated for total phenolic contents and composition, antioxidant activities (DPPH, FRAP, ORAC), and inhibitory properties against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Twenty one phenolic compounds were identified in the present study, with the majority being flavonoids, including kaempeferol glycosides, catechin/epicatechin glucosides and procyanidins. These phenolic compounds not only contributed significantly to the antioxidant activities, but they were also good inhibitors of α-glucosidase and lipase, two enzymes, respectively, associated with glucose and lipid digestion in the human intestine, thus contributing significantly to the control of blood glucose levels and obesity. More interestingly, it was the flavonols, not the flavanols, which showed the inhibitory activities against α-glucosidase and pancreatic lipase. Our result provides supporting information for developing lentil cultivars and functional foods with improved health benefits and suggests a potential role of lentil consumption in managing weight and control of blood glucose.

Alternariol (AOH) is a mycotoxin produced by Alternaria spp. Soyasaponin I (Ss-I) is present naturally in legumes, and it has antioxidant properties. Cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of AOH have been demonstrated previously in vitro. In the present study, the cytotoxicity of AOH, Ss-I, and soyasaponins-rich extract from lentils was investigated; as well as, the cytoprotective effects of Ss-I and lentil extracts against AOH induced-cytotoxicity on Caco-2 cells. Cytotoxicity was carried out using MTT and PC assays (AOH: 3.125–100 µM, Ss-I: 3.125–50 µM, and lentil extracts: 1:0–1:32) during 24 h of exposure. Only AOH showed cytotoxic effect. The reduction in cell proliferation ranged from 25% to 47%. Simultaneous combination of Ss-I with AOH (1:1) increased cell proliferation (35%) compared to AOH tested alone. The Ss-I and extracts showed synergistic cytoprotective effects against cytotoxicity induced by AOH on Caco-2 cells. Food commodities containing Ss-I could contribute to diminish the toxicological risk that natural contaminant as AOH in diet can produce to humans.

Chickpea has become one of the most abundant crops consumed in the Mediterranean and also in western world. Chickpea allergy is reported in specific geographic areas and is associated with lentil and/or pea allergy. We investigated cross-reactivity between chickpea and pea/lentil/soybean/hazelnut. The IgE-binding profiles of chickpea globulin and pea/lentil/soybean/hazelnut extracts were analyzed by immunoblotting and immunoblot-inhibition studies. Inhibition-assay with pea/lentil completely suppressed IgE-binding to chickpea globulin allergens, while not so in the reciprocal inhibition. Pre-absorption of sera with chickpea globulin caused the disappearance of IgE-binding to protein on an immunoblot of soybean/hazelnut protein extract. These results suggest that cross-reactivity exists between chickpea and pea/lentil/soybean/hazelnut. Chickpea allergy is associated with lentil and/or pea allergy, but evidently may not present independently. This, together with the described asymmetric cross-reactivity and phylogenetic aspects, suggest that chickpea allergy is merely an expression of cross-reactivity, caused by pea and/or lentil as the "primary" allergen.

This study considered the efficacy of UV-B treatment and precursor feeding with phenolic synthesis precursors in relation to the production of polyphenol-rich sprouts. The used modifications of sprouting caused an increase in the activities of tyrosine ammonia-lyase and phenylalanine ammonia-lyase. The biotechnological approaches used allowed for a significant enhancement of the antioxidant potential of sprouts that was strongly and positively correlated with total phenolic content. The highest increase of flavonoids content was found for the sprouts obtained with phenylalanine treatment (2.41mg/gFM, 1.6-fold with respect to the control). The highest increase in the antioxidant capacity was found for the sprouts obtained with phenylalanine (an increase of 27% after solid-liquid extraction) and combined UV-tyrosine treatments (an increase of 44% for potentially bioaccessible fractions). The results of this work may suggest the use of elicitation supported by precursor feeding as an easy and cheap tool for improving the nutraceutical potential of low-processed food.

Understanding the profile of lipophilic phytochemicals in lentils is necessary to better understand the health benefits of lentils. The fatty acid, carotenoid and tocopherol compositions and antioxidant activities of the lipophilic extracts of 20 lentil cultivars (10 red and 10 green) were therefore examined. Lentils contained 1.52–2.95% lipids, of which 77.5–81.7% were unsaturated essential fatty acids. Total tocopherols ranged from 37 to 64 μg/g DW, predominantly γ-tocopherol (96–98% of the tocopherol content), followed by δ- and α-tocopherol. trans -Lutein was the primary and major carotenoid (64–78%) followed by trans -zeaxanthin (5–13%). Carotenoids and tocopherols showed weak correlation with 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) activity ( r = 0.4893 and 0.3259, respectively), but good correlation when combined ( r = 0.6688), suggesting they may act synergistically. Carotenoids were found to contribute the most to the strong antioxidant activity measured by photochemiluminescence (PCL) assay. Results from this study contribute to the development of lentil cultivars and related functional foods with increased health benefits.

Multiwalled carbon nanotubes molybdenum disulfide 3D nanocomposite (MWCNT-MoS2 NC) was successfully synthesized via eco-friendly hydrothermal method. The microstructural characterization of synthesized nanocomposite was carried out using different spectroscopic and microscopic techniques. Nanocomposite was activated using glutaraldehyde chemistry and used as a platform to immobilize Lens culinaris β-galactosidase (Lsbgal) which resulted in 93% of immobilization efficiency. Attachment of Lsbgal onto nanocomposite was confirmed by AFM, FE-SEM, FTIR, and CLSM. The nanobiocatalyst showed broadening in operational pH and temperature working range. Remarkable increase in thermal stability was observed as compared to soluble enzyme. Nanobiocatalyst showed outstanding increase in storage stability, retained 92% of residual activity over a period of 8 months. This offers good reusability as it retained ∼50% residual activity up to 21 reuses and exhibited higher rate of lactose hydrolysis in whey. MWCNT-MoS2 NC conjugated to biomolecules can serve as a potential platform for fabrication of lactose biosensor.