Chickpea Sprouts Research Articles

Chickpea Sprouts as a Potential Dietary Support in Different Prostate Disorders-A Preliminary In Vitro Study.

Prostate cancer (PC) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) are common health problems in the aging male population. Due to the unexplored and unconfirmed impact of food containing isoflavones, like sprouts, on the development of the management of BPH and prostate cancer, we decided to extend the knowledge in this area. We have demonstrated for the first time that chickpea sprouts may play an important role in the chemoprevention of prostate disorders. However, attention should be paid to the isoflavone content in the sprouts, as in our study, chickpea sprouts with a moderate concentration of the compounds, harvested in natural light conditions (CA10L) and blue LED light (CA7B), showed the best scores in terms of their potential towards prostate disorders. Chickpea seeds were grown in LED chambers. The methanol extracts from sprouts were quantitatively defined using the HPLC system. Experiments such as the determination of PSA, 5-α-reductase, and dihydrotestosterone were performed on PNT2 and LNCaP cells. For anti-inflammatory assays (determination of NO, IL-6, and TNF-alpha release), murine RAW264.7 macrophages were used. The role of legume products as a diet element should be deeply evaluated for the development of future dietary recommendations for prostate cancer and BPH prevention.

Improving Bioaccessibility and Bioavailability of Isoflavone Aglycones from Chickpeas by Germination and Forming β-Cyclodextrin Inclusion Complexes.

Chickpea isoflavones have diverse pharmacological activities but with low water solubility and bioavailability. In this work, the isoflavone content in chickpeas was first increased by germination, and then the bioaccessibility and bioavailability of isoflavones in chickpea sprout extracts (CSE) were enhanced using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) inclusion techniques. Firstly, the total content of isoflavones was increased by 182 times through sprouting, and isoflavones were presented mostly in the germ and radicle. Then, the chickpea sprout extract/β-cyclodextrin (CSE/β-CD) inclusion complex was prepared and characterized. The in vitro test showed that the cumulative release of two isoflavones, formononetin (FMN) and biochanin A (BCA), in the CSE/β-CD was significantly increased in a simulated digestive fluid. The in vivo rat pharmacokinetics demonstrated that the inclusion of FMN and BCA by β-CD effectively increased their bioavailability in rat plasma and tissues, especially in the liver. The study provides a feasible strategy for improving the bioavailability of isoflavones from chickpeas and is also beneficial to the utilization of other legume resources.

Phytochemical Profile and Composition of Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.): Varietal Differences and Effect of Germination under Elicited Conditions.

Germination is a simple process that improves the nutritional and medicinal values of seeds such as chickpeas. However, the detailed analysis of the phytochemical profile after chemical elicitation during chickpea germination is indispensable when making inferences about its biological properties. Therefore, an evaluation was made of the effect of the chemical inducers salicylic acid (SA, 1 and 2 mM), chitosan (CH, 3.3 and 7 μM), and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, 20 and 30 mM) during germination at 25 °C with 70% RH for 4 days on the content of antinutritional and bioactive compounds, including phenolics, sterols, and saponins, in three Mexican chickpea varieties (Blanoro, Patron, and San Antonio) using UPLC-ELSD-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS, UPLC-DAD-ESI-QqQ-MS/MS, and HPLC-DAD-sQ-MS. The highest increase in phenolics and saponins was found in the Blanoro sprouts induced with SA 2 mM, whereas the highest phytosterol content was detected in San Antonio sprouts induced with CH 7 μM. In addition, significant increases in mono-, di-, and oligosaccharides and decreases in antinutritional contents were achieved after germination with most of the elicitation conditions. More importantly, we identified new compounds in chickpea sprouts, such as the lignans matairesinol and secoisolariciresinol, the phenolic compounds epicatechin gallate and methyl gallate, some phytosterols, and the saponin phaseoside 1, which further increased after chemical elicitation.

Evaluation of Total Isoflavones in Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Sprouts Germinated under Precursors (p-Coumaric Acid and L-Phenylalanine) Supplementation.

Cicer arietinum L. (Bengal gram, chickpea) is one of the major pulse crops and an important part of traditional diets in Asia, Africa, and South America. The present study was conducted to determine the changes in total isoflavones during sprouting (0, 3, and 7 days) along with the effect of two precursor supplementations, p-coumaric acid (p-CA) and L-phenylalanine (Phe), in C. arietinum. It was observed that increasing sprouting time up to the seventh day resulted in ≈1282 mg 100 g-1 isoflavones, which is approximately eight times higher than chickpea seeds. The supplementation of Phe did not affect the total length of sprouts, whereas the supplementation of p-CA resulted in stunted sprouts. On the third day of supplementation with p-CA (250 mg L-1), the increase in the total phenolic content (TPC) (80%), daidzein (152%), and genistin (158%) contents were observed, and further extending the supplementation reduced the growth of sprouts. On the seventh day of supplementation with Phe (500 mg L-1), the increase in TPC by 43% and genistin content by 74% was observed compared with non-treated sprouts; however, the total isoflavones content was found to be 1212 mg 100 g-1. The increased TPC was positively correlated with the 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity (r = 0.787) and ferric-reducing antioxidant potential (FRAP) (r = 0.676) activity. This study suggests that chickpea sprouts enriched in TPC and antioxidants can be produced by the appropriate quantity of precursor supplementation on a particular day. The results indicated major changes in the phytochemical content, especially daidzein and genistin. It was also concluded that the consumption of 100 g of seventh-day sprouts provided eight times higher amounts of isoflavones in comparison to chickpea seeds.

Mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of isoflavones isolated from chickpea sprouts in treating osteoporosis based on network pharmacology

Osteoporosis is a systemic bone disease that is caused by multiple factors that lead to an imbalance in bone metabolism. Isoflavones can prevent and treat osteoporosis by regulating bone metabolism through a variety of pathways. The germination of chickpeas can significantly increase their isoflavone contents. However, the use of isoflavones isolated from chickpea sprouts (ICS) to prevent and treat osteoporosis by regulating bone metabolism has not been widely studied. In vivo experimental studies in ovariectomized rats showed that ICS significantly improved femoral bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular structure, with effects similar to raloxifene. Furthermore, the chemical composition of ICS as well as the targets and signalling pathways its regulates in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis were predicted by network pharmacological studies. ICS with drug-like properties were identified by Lipinski's 5 principles, and intersecting targets of isoflavones with osteoporosis were identified. The overlapping targets were analysed by PPI, GO and KEGG analyses, and the possible key targets, signalling pathways and biological processes by which ICS treats osteoporosis were predicted; the prediction results were verified by molecular docking technology. The results showed that ICS could play an important role in the treatment of osteoporosis through “multicomponent, multitarget and multipathway” mechanisms, and the MAKP, NF-kB and ER-related signalling pathways may be important pathways by which ICS regulates osteoporosis; these findings provide a new theoretical basis for further experimental studies.

Selenized Chickpea Sprouts Hydrolysates as a Potential Anti-Aging Ingredient.

Skin aging represents a health and aesthetic problem that could result in infections and skin diseases. Bioactive peptides can potentially be used in skin aging regulation. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) selenoproteins were obtained from germination with 2 mg Na2SeO3/100 g of seeds for 2 days. Alcalase, pepsin, and trypsin were used as hydrolyzers, and a membrane < 10 kDa was used to fractionate the hydrolysate. Se content, antioxidant capacity, elastase and collagen inhibition, functional stability, and preventative capacity were analyzed. Significant increases in Se content were found in germinated chickpea flour and protein related to the control. An increase of 38% in protein was observed in the selenized flour related to the control. A band (600-550 cm-1) observed in the selenized hydrolysates suggested the insertion of Se into the protein. Hydrolysates from pepsin and trypsin had the highest antioxidant potential. Se enhanced the stability of total protein and protein hydrolysates through time and increased their antioxidant capacity. Hydrolysates > 10 kDa had higher elastase and collagenase inhibition than the total protein and hydrolysates < 10 kDa. Protein hydrolysates < 10 kDa 6 h before UVA radiation had the highest inhibition of collagen degradation. Selenized protein hydrolysates showed promising antioxidant effects that could be related to skin anti-aging effects.

Chickpea and Lupin Sprouts, Stimulated by Different LED Lights, As Novel Examples of Isoflavones-Rich Functional Food, and Their Impact on Breast and Prostate Cells.

Among all legumes sprouts' active compounds, isoflavones seem to be the most important; nevertheless, their high content is not always associated with beneficial effects. These compounds may prevent or stimulate hormone-dependent cancers due to their estrogen-like activity. Different LED light quality can change the synthesis of active compounds and significantly influence the biological activity of the sprouts. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of LED light (red, blue, green, yellow), as well as total darkness, and natural light conditions (as reference), on isoflavones content, determined by HPLC-UV-VIS, during 10 days of harvesting of chickpea and lupin sprouts. Due to the ambiguous estrogenic potential of isoflavones, the impact of these sprouts on normal and cancer prostate and breast cells was evaluated. Yellow LED light resulted in the highest sum of isoflavones in chickpea sprouts (up to 1 g/100 g dw), while for green LED light, the isoflavones sum was the lowest. The exact opposite effect was noted for lupin sprouts, with the predominance of green over the yellow LED light. The examined sprouts were of high safety to non-neoplastic breast and prostate cells, with interesting cytotoxic effects on breast MCF7 and prostate DU145 cancer cells. No clear relationship was observed between the activity and isoflavones content.

Effect of sprouting on the proteome of chickpea flour and on its digestibility by ex vivo gastro-duodenal digestion complemented with jejunal brush border membrane enzymes

The demand for sustainably produced proteins is increasing with the world population and is prompting a dietary shift toward plant sourced proteins. Vegetable proteins have lower digestibility and biological value compared to animal derived counterparts. We explored sprouting of chickpea seeds as a strategy for improving digestibility. Protein evolution associated with by the sprouting process was assessed by proteomics. The sprouting induced breakdown of seed storage proteins and doubled the release of free alpha-amino nitrogen in sprouted chickpea flour. During sprouting, several enzymes involved in plant development were newly expressed. An ex vivo model of gastroduodenal and jejunal digestion was applied to assess the bioaccessibility of the protein digests. Proteins from chickpea sprouts showed a greater susceptibility to digestion with a 10% increase in alpha amino nitrogen. Peptides with potential immunoreactivity or bioactivity were catalogued in both digested chickpea sprouts and seeds using an in-silico approach. Peptides belonging to the non-specific transfer proteins, which are allergens in pulses, and peptides belonging to an IgE-binding hemagglutinin protein could only be identified in the digested chickpea sprouts. The observation collected paved the way to immune-based evaluations to assess the effect of germination on the allergenic potential.

Deglycosylation of isoflavones in selenized germinated chickpea flours due to convection drying

Biological activities have been attributed to selenium (Se)-enriched germinated chickpeas, therefore, scaling-up is an upcoming process. Different doses of Na2SeO3 (0, 24, 48, or 96 mg/L) were used during chickpeas soaking at industry level. Freeze- and convection-drying (FD, CD) effect on the Se retention, isoflavones content, and β-glucosidase and phenylalanine-ammonia-lyase (PAL) activities were evaluated. After 48 h of germination, PAL and phenolics increased by 65 and 19%, respectively, with the lowest Se dose but when the highest dose was used, they decreased by 16 and 51% related to the control. Se content was affected by CD only when the highest dose of Na2SeO3 was used (96 mg/L) and additionally this dose showed toxic effects in chickpea sprouts. CD converted isoflavones glycosides into aglycones due to β-glucosidases activation. Sprouts obtained at 48 h with 24 mg Na2SeO3/L and CD had the highest Se and isoflavones contents (3.299 ± 0.056 and 1930 ± 45 μg/g, respectively).

Novel promising reproductive and metabolic effects of Cicer arietinum L. extract on letrozole induced polycystic ovary syndrome in rat model

Ethnopharmacological relevanceChickpea was used in both greek and indian traditional medicine for hormonal related conditions as menstrual induction, acceleration of parturation, treatment of retained placenta and stimulation of lactation. Chickpea (Cicer arietinum) sprout isoflavone isolates exhibited reasonable estrogenic activities. Isoflavones, a subtype of phytoestrogens, are plant derivatives with moderate estrogenic activity that tend to have protective effects on hormonal and metabolic abnormalities of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Aim of the studyIn this study, we investigated the effect of UPLC/ESI-MS characterized Cicer arietinum L. seeds ethanol extract (CSE) on ovarian hormones, oxidative response and ovarian histological changes on induced PCOS rat model. Materials and methodsThirty-five rats were divided into five groups including negative control, PCOS, and treatment groups. PCOS was induced using letrozole (1 mg/kg) daily orally for 21 days. Each treatment group was treated with one of the following for 28 days after induction of PCOS: clomiphene citrate (1 mg/kg), and CSE at 250 and 500 mg/kg. Ovaries and uteri were excised, weighed and their sections were used for quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, antioxidant assays and histomorphometric study of the ovaries. The antioxidant assays, histopathological examination, hormonal and metabolic profiles, and Cyp11a1(steroidogenic enzyme) mRNA expression were measured. ResultsIn all treatment groups, ovarian weight was significantly decreased despite having no significant effect on uterine weight. Histomorphometric study in the treatment groups revealed a significant decrease in the number and diameter of cystic follicles, a significant increase in granulosa cell thickness while, thickness of theca cells was significantly decreased when compared to PCOS. Hormone levels, metabolic profile and antioxidant status were improved in the treatment groups. Moreover, Cyp11a1 mRNA expression was significantly downregulated in the treatment groups compared to PCOS. ConclusionsIn the current study, CSE enhanced the reproductive and metabolic disorders which were associated with PCOS induction. For the first time, we have highlighted the effect of CSE in treating PCOS and its associated manifestations.

Improving Polyphenolic Compounds: Antioxidant Activity in Chickpea Sprouts through Elicitation with Hydrogen Peroxide.

Elicitation appears to be a promising alternative to enhance the bioactive compound content and biological activities of legume sprouts. Multi-response optimization by response surface methodology (RSM) with desirability function (DF) was used to optimize the elicitor concentration (hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)) and germination time in order to maximize total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoids content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (AOX) of chickpea sprouts. Chemical, antinutritional, and nutraceutical properties of optimized chickpea sprouts (OCS) were also determined. The predicted regression models developed were efficiently fitted to the experimental data. The results of the desirability function revealed that optimum attributes in chickpea sprouts can be achieved by the application of 30 mM H2O2 and 72 h of germination time, with global desirability value D = 0.893. These OCS had higher (p < 0.05) TPC (7.4%), total iso-flavonoids (16.5%), AOX (14.8%), and lower phytic acid (16.1%) and saponins (21.8%) compared to H2O2 non-treated chickpea sprouts. Optimized germination conditions slightly modified the flavonoid profile in chickpea; eight iso-flavonoids were identified in OCS, including formononetin and biochanin A, which were identified as the major compounds. Results from this study support elicitation with H2O2 as an effective approach to improve phytochemical content and antioxidant activity in chickpea sprouts.

Isoflavones from black chickpea (Cicer arietinum L) sprouts with antioxidant and antiproliferative activity.

Black chickpea is a good source of bioactive compounds, particularly isoflavones. Sprouting improves nutraceutical value in chickpea seeds. This study aimed to explore the role of sprouting of black chickpea seeds on the synthesis of isoflavones and evaluate the impact of the soluble isoflavone on cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) and antiproliferative activity in breast cancer cells. Isoflavones were identified and quantified by HPLC-UV-MS. The CAA and antiproliferative activity were determined in HepG2 cells and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells, correspondingly. In sprouted black chickpea, six isoflavones (formononetin, biochanin-A, and its glycosides) were identified and the total isoflavones content increased (0.31 to 35.72 µgBA/mg of extract). The CAA was increased five times from 137.2 to 788.2 µMEQ/100 g of sample. The bioactive compounds in sprouted chickpea decreased the proliferation of MDA-MB-231 cell line. Also caused morphological changes such as cell shrinkage, rounding and nuclear fragmentation. The results herein suggest that bioactive compounds, as isoflavones, in sprouted black chickpea showed a potential antioxidant and antiproliferative activity. Therefore, it may be considered as a value-added product or ingredient for produce functional foods.

Isolation and Identification of a Novel Antioxidant Peptide from Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Sprout Protein Hydrolysates

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is the second most widely cultivated leguminous plant in the world. In this study, the chickpea sprout protein (CSP) was hydrolyzed by various enzymes (trypsin, neutrase, alcalase and papain). The neutrase fraction (NF) which exhibits the best antioxidant activity with a high degree of hydrolysis (DH) was purified by ion-exchange chromatography (IEC), gel filtration chromatography (GFC), and reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). A novel antioxidant peptide (NF2-4-1) was identified to be Leu-Thr-Glu-IIe-IIe-Pro with 685.41 Da molecular weight utilized matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry. The IC50 values of NF2-4-1 was 0.24 ± 0.06 mg/mL on 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH˙) and 0.57 ± 0.04 mg/mL on hydroxyl radicals (·OH) scavenging activity, respectively. Therefore, the results of this study demonstrate that chickpea sprouts can be used as a source of natural antioxidant peptides for food and nutraceutical applications.

Tailor-made natural deep eutectic solvents for green extraction of isoflavones from chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) sprouts

Natural deep eutectic solvents (DESs) have received increasing attention in recent years as emerging green solvents for efficient extraction of bioactive compounds from natural resources. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential and effectiveness of DESs with different polarities for extraction of isoflavones from chickpea sprouts. To this end, we examined 20 different DESs based on choline chloride, betaine, and l-proline as hydrogen bond acceptors in combination with different hydrogen bond donors (carboxylic acids, alcohols, sugars, and amine). Extraction efficiency was evaluated based on the extraction yields of four isoflavones (ononin, sissotrin, formononetin, and biochanin A), total flavonoid content, and anti-oxidant activity. On the basis of the results obtained, choline chloride-based DESs containing propylene glycol as a hydrogen bond donor (molar ratio of 1:1) with 30% (v/v) of water was the most effective at extracting isoflavone compounds from chickpea sprouts, compared to conventional solvents. Subsequently, in order to examine the factors contributing to optimal ultrasound-assisted extraction conditions, a Box-Behnken design paired with response surface methodology was implemented. DES water content and extraction temperature were accordingly found to have prominent effects on the extraction yields of isoflavones. Our results indicate that DESs can be used as suitable green solvents for extracting bioactive compounds from various biomaterials.

Selenium in Germinated Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Increases the Stability of Its Oil Fraction.

Selenium is an essential mineral in human nutrition. In order to assess its effect on the stability of chickpea oil, seeds were germinated and tested with different amounts of sodium selenite (0.0, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/100g seeds) for four days. Oil was extracted from sprouted chickpea and its physical properties, fatty acid profile (FAME), oxidative stability index (OSI), lipase and lipoxygenase (LOX) activities, cellular antioxidant activity (CAA), and phenolics and carotenoids were assessed and compared to chickpea seed oil. The amount of chickpea oil and its acid value (AV) increased during germination. The OSI increased by 28%, 46% and 14% for 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/100g compared with non-selenium treated sprouts. Phenolics increased up to 36% and carotenoids reduced by half in germinated sprouts with and without selenium compared to seeds. Carotenoids increased by 16% in sprouts treated with 1.0 mg/100 g selenium compared to their counterparts without selenium. FAME was not affected by treatments but samples with the highest selenium concentration increased lipase activity by 19% and decreased lipoxygenase activity by 55% compared with untreated sprouts. The CAA of oils increased by 43% to 66% in all germinated treatments compared with seeds. Results suggest that Se-enriched chickpea sprouts could represent an excellent source of oil with a high OSI and CAA, associated with a reduction in LOX activity and an increase in phenolics, respectively.

Lactic acid fermentation of legume seed sprouts as a method of increasing the content of isoflavones and reducing microbial contamination

Legume seeds and sprouts are a rich source of phytoestrogens in the form of isoflavonoids. For the first time, lactic acid fermentation of four types of legume sprouts was used to increase the content of isoflavonoids and microbiological safety. After germination, the highest content of isoflavonoids was observed in the clover and chickpea sprouts, which amounted to 1.1 g/100 g dw., whereas the lactic acid fermentation allowed the increase to as much as 5.5 g/100 g dw. The most beneficial properties were shown by fermented chickpea sprouts germinated in blue light. During fermentation the number of lactic acid bacteria increased by 2 Log10 CFU/mL (LU), whereas mold decreased by 1 LU, E. coli and Klebsiella sp. by 2 LU, Salmonella sp. and Shigella sp. did not occur after fermentation, similar to Staphylococcus epidermidis, while S. aureus and S. saprophyticus decreased by 3 LU and in some trials were not detected.

SPROUTING USING SALINE WATER ON CHEMICAL COMPOSITION, ANTINUTRITIONAL COMPOUNDS AND AMINO ACID PROFILE OF CHICKPEA AND LENTIL SEEDS

Lentil and Chickpea seeds were used to investigated the effect of seed sprouting using tap and saline water on sprout growth, proximate analysis, energy, minerals content, anti-nutritional compounds and amino acid profile of sprouted samples comparing with dry seeds. Result revealed that higher NaCl concentration > 2000 ppm reduce sprouts radical length of both lentil and chickpea. Sterilized seeds sprouting using tap water and non-sterilized seeds sprouting using saline water decreased sprout moisture content and carbohydrate which resulting in reducing faecal and total coliform counts for both lentil and chickpea. Moreover these treatment increased protein content and energy, (Kcal /g) as compared with dry seeds and other treatments. Sprouting decreased antinutritional compounds compared with dry seeds with sharbly decreament in phytic acid followed by taninins content. Mineral content in sprouts were recorded. The chickpea sprout sample using steralized seeds with tap water for sprouting serve as good sources calcium and phosphorous . Amino acid profile of lentil and chickpea sprouts were also studied. Sprouts using saline water recorded higher lysine amino acid value compared with dry seeds while non-steralized chickpea seeds sprouts using saline water recorded the higher total sulpher amino acid (Methionen + Cystiean) value. Based on these results, sprouting process is recommended to increase nutritive value and decreased antinutritional compounds of lentil and chickpea seeds.

Changes in digestibility of proteins from chickpeas (Cicer arietinum L.) germinated in presence of selenium and antioxidant capacity of hydrolysates

Germination in the presence of selenium (Se) is an alternative to increase the healthy properties of seeds. This study aimed to compare the Se accumulation in different protein fractions from germinated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) and the effect on digestibility and cellular antioxidant activity (CAA) of protein hydrolysates. Chickpeas were germinated during four days after soaking with sodium selenite (0, 1, or 2 mg/100 g seeds). Total protein (TP) and glutelin (Glu), albumin (Alb) and globulin (Glo) fractions were digested and ultrafiltrated through a 10 kDa membrane. Se accumulated in the order of Glu > Alb > Glo. Ultrafiltrated Glu hydrolysate of four days germinated chickpeas treated with 2 mg Na2SeO3/100 g increased CAA (51.47%), demonstrating the potential health benefits of selenization. The intensity of vicilin bands (34–37 kDa) increased from the second to the fourth day compared with the control samples. Glo digestibility was higher in selenized chickpea sprouts.

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) sprouts containing supranutritional levels of selenium decrease tumor growth of colon cancer cells xenografted in immune-suppressed mice

The effect of selenium enriched chickpea sprouts with and without isoflavonoids (IS) on colorectal cancer (CRC) tumor growth was evaluated in immune-suppressed mice xenografted. Two levels of selenium (0.17 and 2.29 µg/g) and isoflavonoids (0 and 2.34 mg/g) were evaluated in the diets. High intake of Se (2.29 µg/g) with and without isoflavonoids increased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and tioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activities, cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TRIGL) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels and decreased significantly the tumor growth. Diet containing selenium at 2.29 µg/g and isoflavonoids at 2.34 mg/g levels promoted apoptosis through the overexpression of Fas cell surface death receptor (Fas). High selenium levels in chickpea sprouts exert chemopreventive effects mediated mainly by the antioxidant protection of glutathione peroxidase. Selenized chickpea sprouts represent an excellent source of dietary selenium and isoflavonoids with chemopreventive potential and could be potentially used in the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Production of Antimicrobial Peptides from Cicer arietinum Sprouts and Determination of Their Molecular Masses

A peptide fraction was extracted from chickpea sprouts using 50% EtOH. The peptides were further purified and analyzed by LC-MS. Their molecular masses (MM) were determined using HPLC over a C18 reversedphase column. Six pure peptides that differed from those isolated previously from chickpeas were obtained. The peptides had various antimicrobial activities against Candida albicans (CA), Escherichia coli (EC), and Staphylococcus aureus (SA).