Comprehensive Understanding of Roller Milling on the Physicochemical Properties of Red Lentil and Yellow Pea Flours

The development of convenience foods by incorporating nutrient-rich pulses such as peas and lentils will tremendously alter the future of pulse and cereal industries. However, these pulses should be size-reduced before being incorporated into many food products. Therefore, an attempt was made to adapt roller mill settings to produce de-husked yellow pea and red lentil flours. The milling flowsheets unique to yellow peas and red lentils were developed in producing small, medium, and large flours with maximum yield and flour quality. This study also investigated the differences in chemical composition, physical characteristics, and particle size distributions of the resultant six flour fractions. The kernel dimensions and physicochemical properties of the whole yellow pea and red lentils were also studied to develop customized mill settings. Overall, the mill settings had a significant effect on the physical properties of different particle-sized flours. The geometric mean diameters of different particle-sized red lentil flours were 56.05 μm (small), 67.01 μm (medium), and 97.17 μm (large), while for yellow pea flours they were 41.38 μm (small), 60.81 μm (medium), and 98.31 μm (large). The particle size distribution of all the flour types showed a bimodal distribution, except for the small-sized yellow pea flour. For both the pulse types, slightly more than 50% flour was approximately sizing 50 μm, 75 μm, and 100 μm for small, medium, and large settings, respectively. The chemical composition of the flour types remained practically the same for different-sized flours, fulfilling the objective of this current study. The damaged starch values for red lentil and yellow pea flour types increased with a decrease in flour particle size. Based on the Hausner’s ratios, the flowability of large-sized flour of red lentils could be described as passable; however, all the remaining five flour types were indicated as either poor or very poor. The findings of this study assist the millers to adapt yellow pea and red lentil milling technologies with minor modifications to the existing facilities. The study also helps in boosting the production of various baking products using pulse and wheat flour blends to enhance their nutritional quality.

The Application of Pulse Flours in the Development of Plant-Based Cheese Analogues: Proximate Composition, Color, and Texture Properties

Despite the many benefits of pulses, their consumption is still very low in many Western countries. One approach to solving this issue is to develop attractive pulse-based foods, e.g., plant-based cheeses. This study aimed to assess the suitability of different types of pulse flour, from boiled and roasted yellow peas and faba beans, to develop plant-based cheese analogues. Different stabilizer combinations (kappa- and iota-carrageenan, kappa-carrageenan, and xanthan gum) were tested. The results showed that firm and sliceable pulse-based cheese analogues could be prepared using all types of pulse flour using a flour-to-water ratio of 1:4 with the addition of 1% (w/w) kappa-carrageenan. The hardness levels of the developed pulse-based cheese analogues were higher (1883–2903 g, p < 0.01) than the reference Gouda cheese (1636 g) but lower than the commercial vegan cheese analogue (5787 g, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the crude protein (4–6% wb) and total dietary fiber (6–8% wb) contents in the developed pulse-based cheese analogues were significantly (p < 0.01) higher than in the commercial vegan cheese analogue, whereas the fat contents were lower. In conclusion, flours from boiled and roasted yellow peas and faba beans have been shown to be suitable as raw materials for developing cheese analogues with nutritional benefits.

Bioprocessing of common pulses changed seed microstructures, and improved dipeptidyl peptidase-IV and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a leading cause of death globally. T2DM patients experience glucose intolerance, and inhibitors of dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV) and α-glucosidase are used as drugs for T2DM management. DPP-IV and α-glucosidase inhibitors are also naturally contained in foods, but their potency can be affected by the food matrix and processing methods. In this study, germination and solid-state fermentation (SSF) were used to alter pulse seed microstructures, to convert compounds into more bioactive forms, and to improve their bioaccessibility. Germination substantially modified the seed microstructure, protein digestibility, contents and profiles of phenolic compounds in all the pulses. It also increased DPP-IV and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities in chickpeas, faba beans and yellow peas. Compared to germination, SSF with Lactobacillus plantarum changed the content and the profile of phenolic compounds mainly in yellow peas and green lentils because of greater disruption of the seed cell wall. In the same pulses, heat treatment and SSF of flour increased DPP-IV and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. The results of this study suggest that germination and SSF with L. plantarum are effective and simple methods for modulating phenolic and protein profiles of common pulses and improve the action on DPP-IV and α-glucosidase.