Thermal processing effects on the functional properties and microstructure of lentil, chickpea, and pea flours

Pulses are rich in nutrients. The existence of anti-nutritional components and the length of time required for preparation have, however, limited their frequency of use compared to recommended intake levels. Anti-nutritional components in pulses can be largely removed by heat treatment. Additionally pre-treatment of pulses with heat and processing of seeds into flour could further enhance their use by decreasing processing and preparation times. In this study, trypsin inhibitor activity, functional properties, and microstructural characteristics of flours prepared from different varieties of lentil, chickpea, and pea as affected by roasting and boiling were evaluated. Both thermal treatments resulted in significant reduction (p<. 0.05) in trypsin inhibitor activity ranging from - 95.6% to - 37.8%. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results showed that the roasted pulse flours had similar microstructure (i.e., starch granule and protein matrix structure) to the raw samples. For the pre-boiled flours, amorphous flakes were observed by SEM with no presence of intact starch granules. This is likely due to gelatinization of starch during cooking. Interestingly, flours treated by boiling exhibited significantly higher (p<. 0.05) fat binding capacity, water holding capacity, and gelling capacity, while protein solubility was significantly reduced compared to the raw and roasted pulse flours. Overall, thermal treatments either had no impact or impacted to different extents the emulsifying and foaming properties of the flours. Our results suggest that thermally-treated pulse flours may have very good potential to be used as value-added food ingredients for food applications due to their improved nutritional value and, in some instances, superior functionality. © 2010.