PROCESS FOR OBTAINING CHICKPEA FLOUR RICH IN BIOFUNCTIONAL COMPOUNDS.

Abstract

The present invention relates to the food industry and consists of a process for producing flours rich in biofunctional compounds that also offer high-quality protein. To achieve this, clean, healthy chickpea seeds were germinated and elicited with hydrogen peroxide under optimal conditions of soaking time (3 h), hydrogen peroxide concentration (34.34 mM), and germination time (5 days). The resulting flours exhibited higher protein content (24.36%), protein digestibility (96.29%), phenolic compounds (206.73 mg GAE / 100 g), and antioxidant activity (121.18 µmol / 100 g) compared to germination without the use of an elicitor. Furthermore, water consumption was reduced by using a 1:4 seed-to-liquid ratio for disinfection and soaking, eliminating the need for washing after disinfection without affecting germination efficiency.This flour can be used in combination with cereal flours in the production of bakery and / or extruded products, or directly as a supplement in sports nutrition, which can increase the nutritional and biofunctional value of the final product. Furthermore, the protein extracted from this flour may possess technofunctional properties that aid in the formulation of new foods, and even bioactive peptides released during germination can be used. This type of flour is not currently available on the market, which is interesting from a nutritional and health perspective, since consuming foods rich in phenolic compounds helps prevent chronic degenerative diseases.