EFFECT OF PROCESSING ON SOME ANTINUTRITIONAL FACTORS OF LENTILS

Changes in the trypsin inhibitor activity and in the phytic acid, tann in, and catechin content of lentils (Lens culinaris var. Vulgaris) wer e investigated after soaking in distilled water, citric acid, and sodi um bicarbonate solutions. The effect of cooking, after the seeds mere presoaked in the above-mentioned solutions and both the soaking and co oking solutions were discarded, was also studied. Finally, two varieti es of lentils (L. culinaris var. Vulgaris and Variabilis) were germina ted for 6 days, and the effect on the trypsin inhibitor activity and t he phytic acid, tannin, and catechin contents was also measured. Soaki ng did not modify the trypsin inhibitor activity, decreased the phytic acid content, and increased the tannin and catechin contents. Cooking the presoaked seed brought about the total removal of trypsin inhibit or activity, a reduction of the phytic acid level, and an increase of the content of tannins and catechins. The trypsin inhibitor activity a nd the phytic acid content showed a large decrease after 6 days of ger mination, while amounts of tannins and catechins in the two lentil var ieties studied increased. Cooking and germination seem to be good proc edures to improve the quality of lentil flour from the nutritional poi nt of view, despite the fact that a large variation on the effects of processing, related to the different legume varieties, has been observ ed.