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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of black sesame germination on its nutritional composition and antioxidant activity.

Germination occurred at constant temperature and humidity (35 °C and 95 ± 5%) for 72 h. The levels of moisture, protein, lipids, ash, total dietary fibre and fractions, carbohydrates, calories, phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity were determined.

With germination, there was a significant increase in moisture and protein content, as well as a reduction in the other parameters assessed in terms of nutritional composition. When analysing bioactive compounds, no significant change was found in the content of phenolic compounds; however, there was a reduction in antioxidant capacity according to the three methods tested, which may be related to the characteristics of the grain itself, the conditions used for germination, or even the process of extracting phenolic compounds for analysis. Other conditions for the germination of black sesame using different times and temperatures should be evaluated in future studies.

This is an original research article, which has an industrial and health impact by transmitting highly relevant responses on nutrition and food. The novelty of this research is the fact of studying the germination of black sesame on the nutritional composition (moisture, protein, lipids, ash, total dietary fibre and fractions, carbohydrates and calories), levels of phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity. These results can help improve the procedures adopted by the food industries and also in nutritional conduct, as the germination process leads to a change in the nutritional composition, especially with regard to protein synthesis, which is relevant, once it is an interesting protein option. However, it also brings us responses to reductions in important nutritional compounds.

Black turtle bean has nutritional potentials in the human diet and could provide a significant amount of food in developing countries. Low consumption of black beans has been attributed partly to the hard-to-cook phenomenon which requires a long time of cooking. Germination improves nutritional, functional, bioactive compounds, reduces anti-nutrients and cooking time. Germinated black turtle bean can contribute to efforts geared towards the production of functional foods and the fight against protein malnutrition. This study aims to investigate the changes in the nutritional, antioxidants and functional properties of black turtle bean due to different epigeal germination times to increase its utilization in food systems.

Black turtle bean seeds (Phaseolus vulgaris) were cleaned, winnowed, washed, soaked for 16 h, drained and subjected to epigeal germinated at ambient temperature for 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h, respectively. The germinated seeds were dried, dehulled, milled and sieved. Proximate, antioxidant properties and activity, anti-nutrients, mineral (calcium, phosphorus, iron, sodium, manganese, copper, potassium, zinc and magnesium) and functional properties (water absorption capacity, oil absorption, bulk density, swelling index, water solubility index and gelling concentration) of the germinated black turtle bean (GTB) flour (0GTB, 24GTB, 48GTB, 72GTB and 96GTB) were determined using standard procedures.

The ash, protein, fat and fibre contents of the black turtle bean were significantly increased through germination. Germination resulted in changes in the antioxidant activity of the black turtle bean samples. The mineral content of the black bean samples was improved significantly by germination and as well altered the functional properties (p < 0.01). Oxalate and phytate were significantly reduced with increased germination time (p < 0.01). In total, 96 h germination (96GTB) had better antioxidant activity, mineral and proximate composition with lower anti-nutrients.

Germination for 96 h proved to be the optimum time for improved mineral content, increased protein, ash, fibre, antioxidant activity and property with reduced antinutrients. Germination represents an attractive, inexpensive means of improving the nutritional profile and enhancing the bio-functionality of the black turtle bean. The epigeal germinated turtle bean could find applied as a functional ingredient in food formulation.

This study aims to identify the location of the micropyle, the role of the micropyle in seed germination and the association between the micropyle size and seed weight of grass peas.

First, the micropyle was identified by cutting the seed in half and observing the seeds under the electron microscope. Second, the micropyle was covered by lanolin to block water imbibition. The rate of imbibition and germination was then observed. Lastly, micropyle sizes of various grass pea genotypes were identified by capturing seed images under a light microscope and converting the sizes to mm² using computer software (ImageJ).

The location of micropyle was located nearby the hilum, similar to soybean seeds. Seed imbibition was significantly lower in lanolin application (<87%) than in the control (>124%) after 24 hours of submergence. Germination was a day delay for lanolin application on the micropyle compared to lanolin application on the non-micropyle. The germination delay resulted in a significantly lower germination percentage at <57% on the micropyle lanolin application than at >79% on the non-micropyle lanolin application after 10 days of sowing. There is no correlation between the micropyle size and seed weight.

These findings add information on the location and the role of the micropyle for grass pea seed germination.

Soybean has great nutritional potential. Its high protein content makes it an alternative protein source to milk in situations where milk cannot be used due to allergic reactions or intolerance. However, the potential benefits of soybean might be limited by the presence of antinutritional factors, including trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA). The purpose of the study is to evaluate the effect of dehulling and germination on the nutritive value of the soy flour and on the factors that could negatively affect the nutritional potential of the bean.

Soybean seeds were soaked for 24 h and allowed to germinate for one to three days. Soaked soybeans were manually dehulled and the flours obtained were evaluated for nutritional and antinutritional factors.

Dehulling and germination produce significant increase in crude protein and crude fiber and ash content (p = 0.05). Crude fat and starch content decreased, but the reduction was insignificant. Trypsin inhibitor levels were significantly lower after germination and dehulling of the seeds (p = 0.05).

Dehulling and germination are cost-effective processing techniques to improve the nutritional quality of the legume.

This paper aims to study the changes in anti‐nutritional factors during the germination of the Indian bean and also to carryout an evaluation by subjecting it to different cooking treatments – boiling, roasting and pressure cooking.

The healthy Indian bean (Dolichos lablab L.) seeds were soaked for 12 h and allowed to germinate (sprout) at room temperature 27±2^○C for a period of 32 h. Seedlings were withdrawn at designated time intervals and used for analysis of anti‐nutritional factors like trypsin inhibitory activity (TIA), phytic acid, polyphenols and tannins of dried and germinated cotyledons. They were also evaluated regarding their changes by subjecting to different cooking treatments – boiling, roasting and pressure cooking.

The raw dry Indian bean had a very high TIA which decreases progressively to 17 per cent at 32 h germination period. An overall fall in polyphenols of 70 per cent, tannins 46 per cent, phytic acids 36 per cent and phytate phosphorus to 30 per cent was noticed during the 32 h germination period. Maximum reduction was observed in TIA and phytic acids with roasting, while the boiling and pressure cooking decreases the levels of polyphenols and tannins.

The paper proves that germination is a more effective method in reducing TIA, tannins, polyphenols and phytic acid than the various cooking treatments.

This paper aims to focus on the effect of fermentation, roasting and germination on tamarind seed flour.

Tamarind seeds were treated using three different methods, namely, fermentation, roasting and germination. Fermentation was allowed for four days, roasting was carried out at 180°C at three time regimens of 10, 15 and 20 min and germination was done at 10, 15 and 20 days. Samples were analysed at intervals for proximate composition, antinutritional factors and functional properties using standard methods.

Protein, crude fat, crude fibre contents and pH increased significantly (p < 0.05) as fermentation progressed, while ash content and carbohydrate reduced. Protein, crude fat and crude fibre contents decreased significantly (p < 0.05) as roasting progressed, while ash content, carbohydrate and pH increased. Protein and crude fibre contents increased significantly (p < 0.05) as germination progressed, while crude fat, ash content, carbohydrate and pH reduced. Processing resulted in significant reduction of the phytate, tannin and trypsin inhibitor.

Processed seeds of Tamarindus indica can be used to fortify local cereals (millet/maize) with other ingredients to produce complementary foods with good nutritional quality and consequently as a tool for meeting community nutritional needs.

The paper has demonstrated effect of fermentation, roasting and germination in enhancement of functional and nutritional properties of tamarind seed flour for utilization as a food ingredient.

Soybean is potentially a rich source of protein and lipids along with isoflavone. However, the use of soybean is limited due to presence of anti-nutritional factors such as trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid, etc. The present study aimed at evaluation of Harit soya seeds of different treatments such as soaking, dehulling, germination, soaking+roasting and roasting in order to enhance its quality.

Harit soya seeds were utilized were soaked overnight and subjected for dehulling, germination for 3 days as well as roasting followed by drying to obtain fine powder for quality evaluation.

Dehulling and germination produce significant (p < 0.01) increase in protein, crude fiber, total chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, total phenolics, flavonoids and isoflavones while fat was decreased non-significantly. The highest value of 12.4 mg/100g, 5.3 mgGAE/g and 6.6 mg/g for ascorbic acid, total phenolics and isoflavones was found in germinated seeds. Also, the effect of soaking, roasting and their combination lead to significant decrease in the functional properties of the seeds. Anti-nutritional factors were significantly (p < 0.01) reduced in all forms of treated seeds while pepsin and trysin digestibility was enhanced during soaking, dehulling and germination with maximum value of 72.6 and 25.8%, respectively in germinated seeds.

Improvement in quality of evergreen variety of soybean using cost effective traditional methods

Digestibility of pulses is affected due to presence of antinutritional and toxic compounds. Various processing treatments are known to destroy heat labile toxic compounds and other enzyme inhibitors, hence, to improve the texture, palatability and nutritive value of pulses. This paper, therefore, aims to focus on improving the digestibility and availability of nutrients of green gram (Vigna radiata L.) through processing treatments.

The present study was undertaken to see the effect of common processing and cooking treatments on newly released green gram cultivars. To achieve this objective, green gram seeds were soaked in plain water (1:4 w/v) for 12 hours at 37°C. One portion of the soaked seeds was dried at 55°C and left‐over soaked seeds were divided into three portions. One portion of the soaked seeds was dehulled manually. The second portion of the soaked seeds was ordinary and pressure‐cooked (water two times the weight of soaked seeds) for 35 minutes at 95‐100°C and at 1.05 kg/cm² pressure for 15 minutes, respectively. The third portion of the soaked seeds was sprouted for 24 hours at 37°C. All the processed seeds were dried at 55°C in a hot air oven and then ground in a cyclone sample mill and stored for estimation of nutritional parameters using standard methods.

Soaking and cooking treatments had no significant effect on proximate composition, whereas sugar contents increased and starch contents decreased significantly. Soaking and cooking treatments also improved in vitro starch digestibility significantly. De‐hulling of soaked seeds further improved starch digestibility and also caused significant change in protein, fat, ash, crude fibre and sugar contents. Germination decreased starch, thereby raising the level of the soluble sugars and improved starch digestibility by 49 and 48 percent, respectively, in both cultivars. Similarly, pressure‐cooking also increased starch digestibility by about 44 and 49 percent, respectively, in both cultivars. Cooking may gelatinize starch and germination may mobilize starch, resulting in improved digestibility of starch by α‐amylase.

Evolving high‐yielding crop varieties is one of the most important strategies to fill the gap between demand and supply of food legumes and also to improve the nutritional status of the population consuming such foods. Hence, it is imperative to judge their chemical composition and improve them through inexpensive processing techniques.

The paper gives an overall view of nutritive values of new and traditional varieties of vegetables and will be of value to those who supply the consumer.

This paper focuses on the effect of different pretreatments on some properties of tigernut, an underutilized crop in Nigeria with the aim of widening its utilization in the country.

Tigernuts were subjected to various pretreatments such as fermentation, germination, pregelatinization and roasting before drying at 50 ± 2 ^○C for 48 h in locally fabricated cabinet drier and milling in commercial plate mill to produce meal which passed through 30 mm pore‐sized sieve. Pretreated and untreated tigernut meals were analyzed using methods reported in the literature for chemical composition, physicochemical and functional properties.

Protein content of the meals ranged from 2.79 ± 0.01 to 3.65 ± 0.02 per cent with sample from fermented tigernut having the highest value and those from roasted ones having the least value. There were slight variations in the crude fat, fiber and ash contents of the resultant meals after pretreatment. There were 10 and 14 per cent enhancement in the ascorbic acid contents of fermented and germinated meals respectively. Titratable acidity, pH and water absorption capacity were affected by pretreatment in this study. Bulk density varied slightly after pretreatment. Germination, roasting and pregelatinization resulted in marked decrease in peak viscosity of the samples. The emulsion capacity ranged from 48.4 to 56 per cent with the untreated sample having the highest value and meals from roasted sample had the least value. Foaming capacity was improved by the pretreatments with the exception of roasting which reduced it from 2.15 to 1.18 per cent.

The paper has demonstrated the effect of pretreatments on tigernut meals and its potential applications in various food formulation and development, e.g. weaning foods, baked goods, beverage products, etc.

Probiotic fermented foods are fast being recognized as health foods. Most of such foods are based on dairy products but little research work is available on coarse cereals and millets, which constitute the staple foods in developing countries. This paper aims to determine the effect of germination and fementation on nutrient composition of pearl millet based food blends.

Indigenously developed pearl millet based food blends containing raw and germinated pearl millet flour, whey powder and tomato pulp (2:1:1w/w) were autoclaved, cooled and fermented with 5 percent Lactobacillus acidophilus curd which supplied 10⁶cells/ml to the slurry at 37°C for 12 h. The unfermented blends, after autoclaving, served as controls. The developed food blends were subjected to nutritional evaluation by using the standard methods of analysis. The data were statistically analysed.

Pearl millet based, germinated, autoclaved and fermented, food blend maintained adequate cell viability (8.64 cfu g^‐1) as compared to non‐germinated food blend. Germination and probiotic fermentation caused significant improvement in the contents of thiamine, niacin, total lysine, protein fractions, sugars, soluble dietary fibre and in vitro availability of Ca, Fe and Zn of food blends.

Research is currently aimed at developing probiotic millet based food mixture, which had enhanced nutrient profile. Hence, it can be considered for commercialization after establishing its health/therapeutic implications among the population.

Dairy foods have preferentially been used as the carrier medium for probiotics. This paper explores the possibility of using staple foods as the carrier medium. The consumption of such food mixtures containing viable probiotic bacteria should be enhanced among consumers in term of their role in health maintenance and disease prevention.