Abstract
Pulses are recommended for healthy eating due to their high content of nutrients and bioactive compounds that can undergo changes during cooking. This study investigated the effects of four cooking methods (boiling, pressure, microwave, slow) and three heating solutions (water, salt, sugar) on the phenolic acids and antioxidant properties of three pulses (faba beans, lentils, peas). The composition of phenolic acids differed among the three pulses with p-coumaric and ferulic being the dominant acids. Cooking increased free phenolic acids and lessened bound phenolic acids in faba beans and peas, while decreased both free and bound phenolic acids in lentils. Cooking resulted in reductions in total phenol content (TPC) in faba bean methanol and bound extracts. Pressure and microwave cooking increased TPC in lentil methanol extracts, while pot boiling and slow cooking reduced TPC. Microwave cooking resulted in increases in TPC in bound phenolic extracts from lentils. For peas, cooking increased TPC in both methanol and bound phenolic extracts. Significant changes were also observed in the antioxidant capacity of cooked pulses based on the scavenging ability of DPPH, ABTS and peroxyl radicals subject to the type of pulse, polyphenol and antioxidant assay. Despite the significant reduction in antioxidants, high amounts of phenolics with potent antioxidant activities are still found in cooked pulses.
Highlights
Consumption of pulses is recommended by health organizations due to their high-nutrient density and health benefits [1]
Since little information has been reported on the effect of various cookers microwave and slow cookers using different heating solutions on phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity, the current study investigated effects of four cooking methods and three heating solutions on the composition of free and bound phenolic acids, the most abundant polyphenols in pulses, and antioxidant properties of three pulses
The boiling and steaming of green and yellow peas, chickpeas and lentils decreases DPPH scavenging activity and Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) values, while pressure cooking increases ORAC values [33]. It appears that changes in phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity are subject to the type of phenolic and cooking conditions
Summary
Consumption of pulses is recommended by health organizations due to their high-nutrient density and health benefits [1]. Pulses are good sources of protein, slowly digestible and resistant starch, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and bioactive compounds [2,3]. They are important dietary components worldwide as many countries rely on pulses as a source of inexpensive and plant protein. Pulses are commonly processed and/or cooked in a boiling water pot or pressure cooker prior to consumption which alters their nutrients and bioactive compounds and health benefits. It would be of interest to understand how various cooking methods can affect nutritional properties of pulses especially little or no information is currently available on the effect of microwave or slow cooking on the composition of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of commonly consumed pulses
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