The impact of dehydration process on antinutrients and protein digestibility of some legume flours

Dehydrated foods are specially designed for patients with mastication or/and deglutition problems. This study has assessed the effects of soaking, cooking and industrial dehydration treatments on antinutrient factors and also on protein digestibility in legume flours (chickpea, lentil and bean). A general decline of phytic acid was observed during dehydration, being the most accentuated in case of lentil (44%), followed by white beans and pink-mottled cream beans. Beans were the legumes that showed the highest levels of enzyme inhibitors and lectins, however processing such as cooking and dehydration significantly reduced (p < 0.05) their levels further to negligible concentrations. The dehydration did not cause further effects than ordinary cooking in reduction of the concentration of polyphenolic compounds of flours. However, a higher increase of in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) was produced by dehydration in all legumes from 12% to 15%. Thus, dehydrated legume flours could be considered ready-to-use for special meals to specific populations.