Effect of Faba bean seed sprouting using saline water on its antioxidant properties

Abstract

Legumes play a fundamental role in human nutrition in many countries. Germination is considered as one of the most effective processes to improve the quality of legumes. Faba bean seeds have been chosen for this study, to do a comparative study on the chemical analysis and phytochemical contents of the faba bean seeds and their germinated samples using tap and saline water was studied. The antioxidant activity (total antioxidants, phenols and flavonoids) comparison of the seed and the selected sprouted samples was, also, extended. Vitamins, phenols, total flavonoids and other important compounds, that might be considered beneficial as antioxidants, often dramatically change during the course of germination. The obtained data of the current study revealed, through measuring sprout characters, that 1000 ppm NaCl was the appropriate concentration with respect to performance of the sprouting of Faba bean. It was, also, found that there was a slight increasing in protein, amino-acids and some minerals in tap and saline water sprouted samples. A marked increasing in antioxidant activity, total phenols and total flavonoids in tap water and saline water sprouts was also detected. It could be concluded that germination process increases the nutritive value of the seeds and is a good way to enhance the antioxidant properties of legume seeds. Consequently, germination process could be used as a source of natural antioxidants in functional foods and could be considered as an important step towards the future evolvement of value-added foods and which can be used in the development of novel food products with beneficial effects on human’s health . This study show that there was slightly increasing in protein, amino-acids and some minerals in sprouts using tap water and saline water. Whereas, there was a marked increasing in antioxidant activity, total phenols and total flavonoids in tap water and saline water sprouts.