Lactobacillus fermented chickpeas: Improving dough process quality and biscuit nutritional value

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the impact of lactobacillus fermented chickpeas (LFC) on dough quality and assess their application potential in biscuits. The results of rheological properties showed that LFC significantly increased the storage modulus (G') and loss modulus (G'') of the dough, with a greater increase in G'. The textural analysis showed that the LFC significantly increased the hardness of the dough before and after fermentation. In the low-field NMR analysis, LFC enhanced the bound water content of the dough and reduced the mobility of the water molecules. Furthermore, the network structure of gluten proteins was weakened by LFC, resulting in more exposed starch. In vitro protein digestibility increased by 28.01% at the gastric end and 11.76% at the intestinal end of LFC-biscuits as compared to chickpea biscuits. It was associated with lactobacilli fermentation reducing phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor activity in chickpeas. Moreover, the protein content of the biscuits has been increased (33.26%) and their free amino acid composition has been optimized. The hardness, brittleness, and specific volume of biscuits were significantly enhanced by LFC, with well sensory acceptance. These findings will enrich the theory of lactobacilli fermentation of legumes and inspire its application in baked foods.