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The aims of this study were to (1) compare dietary fibers (soluble and insoluble), phenolic contents and antioxidant activity (AA) in germinated (GL) and non-germinated wrinkled lentils (NGL) and (2) evaluate phenolic contents, AA and mineral solubility in kefir beverage supplemented with GL and NGL during fermentation. Total dietary fiber (TDF) in NGL (28.0 ± 2.6 g/100 g) was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than GL (17.4 ± 0.4 g/100 g). Both GL and NGL contained more insoluble dietary fiber than soluble dietary fiber. The AA of GL was ∼13% higher than NGL. Kefirs with GL and NGL had more bacterial activity and acidity (1.22 ± 0.06% and 1.18 ± 0.05%, respectively). Fermentation of kefir supplemented with GL or soluble or insoluble dietary fiber from GL increased calcium solubility up to 10%. These findings suggest that germination and fermentation enhance the nutritional and functional value of low-quality “wrinkled” lentils that are otherwise considered waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two faba bean (Vicia faba L.) subspecies major and minor and lentil seeds grown in Algeria were separated into cotyledons and hulls. These fractions, together with their corresponding whole seeds, were extracted with two solvents, aqueous (70%) acetone and (80%) ethanol, and evaluated for antioxidant activity in relation to their phenolic contents. Acetone selectively extracted tannins from faba beans. The hulls always exhibited high antioxidant activity, measured using the reducing power (RP), antiradical activity (DPPH) or oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assays. Aqueous ethanol (80%) extract of lentil hulls exhibited high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities preferentially inhibiting 15-LOX (IC50, 55μg/ml), with moderate COX-1 (IC50, 66μg/ml) and COX-2 (IC50, 119μg/ml) inhibitory effects on the COX pathway, whereas faba bean hull extracts exerted relatively mild LOX inhibitory activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We evaluated the antioxidant potential of lentil polysaccharides in stimulating the growth of probiotic bacteria in yogurt. Microbial counts, pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) were measured in yogurt samples containing starter cultures with or without probiotic bacteria, supplemented with whole ground green lentils. Additionally, the antioxidant potential of polysaccharides extracted from green, red, and dehulled red lentils were measured by oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Results demonstrate that green lentils selectively enhanced the number of probiotic bacteria in yogurt in the initial stages of storage and maintained overall microbial counts (starter cultures and probiotics) over a 28-day storage period. Furthermore, the overall reduction in pH and increase in TTA in lentil containing yogurt samples after the 28-day storage period at 4 °C, suggest that starter cultures preferentially utilize lentils toward the end of this storage period. Polysaccharide extracts exhibited strong antioxidant potential no significant difference between extracts from red and green whole lentil extracts (46.1 ± 2.8 and 43.1 ± 4.2 μmol trolox equivalents (TE)/g of lentil respectively). However, the antioxidant capacity of dehulled red lentil extracts was significantly lower at 24.2 ± 1.7 μmol TE/g, suggesting that the hull has bioactive components, which play an important role in free radical scavenging. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]