Co-ingestion of Cereals and Legumes during Infant Complementary Feeding: Starch and Protein in vitro Digestion.

This study explores the impact of co-ingesting cereals and legumes on starch and protein during simulated infant in vitro digestion. Various legumes (chickpeas, lentils, peas) were added to cereals (durum wheat, brown rice, white maize), and their effects on starch and protein hydrolysis were analyzed. Substituting 50% of cereal with legumes increased proteins, minerals, and dietary fiber. Infant food with legumes exhibited smoother pasting properties. Legumes in cereal purées led to varying starch hydrolysis trends, with the lowest values in durum wheat with chickpea and all cereal blends with peas. Resistant starch levels exceeding 50% were found in infant food samples. Digested protein hydrolysis increased with legumes in durum wheat, except for peas. Brown rice mixtures decreased significantly compared to the control with chickpeas (61%) and peas (42%), while lentil blends increased by 46%. Legumes generally did not significantly affect starch bioavailability, even with α-amylase inhibitors. Lentil-cereal purées could enhance infant food nutritional value.

Fibrillization of lentil proteins is impacted by the protein extraction conditions and co-extracted phenolics.

Legume proteins can be induced to form amyloid-like fibrils upon heating at low pH, with the exact conditions greatly impacting the fibril characteristics. The protein extraction method may also impact the resulting fibrils, although this effect has not been carefully examined. Here, the fibrillization of lentil protein prepared using various extraction methods and the corresponding fibril morphology were characterized. It was found that an acidic, rather than alkaline, protein extraction method was better suited for producing homogeneous, long, and straight fibrils from lentil proteins. During alkaline extraction, co-extracted phenolic compounds bound proteins through covalent and non-covalent interactions, contributing to the formation of heterogeneous, curly, and tangled fibrils. Recombination of isolated phenolics and proteins (from acidic extracts) at alkaline pH resulted in a distinct morphology, implicating a role for polyphenol oxidase also in modifying proteins during alkaline extraction. These results help disentangle the complex factors affecting legume protein fibrillization.

Effect of Kaempferol and Its Glycoside Derivatives on Antioxidant Status of HL-60 Cells Treated with Etoposide.

Kaempferol is a well-known antioxidant found in many plants and plant-based foods. In plants, kaempferol is present mainly in the form of glycoside derivatives. In this work, we focused on determining the effect of kaempferol and its glycoside derivatives on the expression level of genes related to the reduction of oxidative stress-NFE2L2, NQO1, SOD1, SOD2, and HO-1; the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutases; and the level of glutathione. We used HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemia cells, which were incubated with the anticancer drug etoposide and kaempferol or one of its three glycoside derivatives isolated from the aerial parts of Lens culinaris Medik.-kaempferol 3-O-[(6-O-E-caffeoyl)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-ß-d-galactopyranoside-7-O-ß-d-glucuropyranoside (P2), kaempferol 3-O-[(6-O-E-p-coumaroyl)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-ß-d-galactopyranoside-7-O-ß-d-glucuropyranoside (P5), and kaempferol 3-O-[(6-O-E-feruloyl)-ß-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)]-ß-d-galactopyranoside-7-O-ß-d-glucuropyranoside (P7). We showed that none of the tested compounds affected NFE2L2 gene expression. Co-incubation with etoposide (1 µM) and kaempferol (10 and 50 µg/mL) leads to an increase in the expression of the HO-1 (9.49 and 9.33-fold at 10 µg/mL and 50 µg/mL, respectively), SOD1 (1.68-fold at 10 µg/mL), SOD2 (1.72-fold at 10-50 µg/mL), and NQO1 (1.84-fold at 50 µg/mL) genes in comparison to cells treated only with etoposide. The effect of kaempferol derivatives on gene expression differs depending on the derivative. All tested polyphenols increased the SOD activity in cells co-incubated with etoposide. We observed that the co-incubation of HL-60 cells with etoposide and kaempferol or derivative P7 increases the level of total glutathione in these cells. Taken together, our observations suggest that the antioxidant activity of kaempferol is related to the activation of antioxidant genes and proteins. Moreover, we observed that glycoside derivatives can have a different effect on the antioxidant cellular systems than kaempferol.

Lentil lectin derived from Lens culinaris exhibit broad antiviral activities against SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The spike (S) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutated continuously and newly emerging variants escape from antibody-mediated neutralization raised great concern. S protein is heavily glycosylated and the glycosylation sites are relatively conserved, thus glycans on S protein surface could be a target for the development of anti-SARS-CoV-2 strategies against variants. Here, we collected 12 plant-derived lectins with different carbohydrate specificity and evaluated their anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity against mutant strains and epidemic variants using a pseudovirus-based neutralization assay. The Lens culinaris-derived lentil lectin which specifically bind to oligomannose-type glycans and GlcNAc at the non-reducing end terminus showed most potent and broad antiviral activity against a panel of mutant strains and variants, including the artificial mutants at N-/O-linked glycosylation site, natural existed amino acid mutants, as well as the epidemic variants B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1. Lentil lectin also showed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. We found lentil lectin could block the binding of ACE2 to S trimer and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 at the early steps of infection. Using structural information and determined N-glycan profile of S trimer, taking together with the carbohydrate specificity of lentil lectin, we provide a basis for the observed broad spectrum anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. Lentil lectin showed weak haemagglutination activity at 1 mg/mL and no cytotoxicity activity, and no weight loss was found in single injection mouse experiment. This report provides the first evidence that lentil lectin strongly inhibit infection of SARS-COV-2 variants, which should provide valuable insights for developing future anti-SARS-CoV-2 strategies.

Determination of soluble and insoluble-bound phenolic compounds in dehulled, whole, and hulls of green and black lentils using electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS and their inhibition in DNA strand scission.

The soluble and insoluble-bound phenolic fractions of hull, whole, and dehulled black and green lentil extracts were identified and quantified using electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS/MS. Several in vitro antioxidant tests and inhibition of DNA strand scission were conducted to assess different pathways of activity. The most abundant phenolics in the soluble fractions were caffeic acid (412.2 µg/g), quercetin, (486.5 µg/g) quercetin glucoside (633.6 µg/g) luteolin glucoside (239.1 µg/g) and formononetin (920 µg/g), while myricetin (534.1 µg/g) and catechin (653.4 µg/g) were the predominant phenolics in the insoluble bound fraction. Hulls of both lentil cultivars had the highest phenolic content and the strongest antioxidant activity followed by whole and dehulled samples. Thus, lentil hulls would serve as an excellent source for the production of functional foods. Moreover, ESI-MS/MS (direct infusion) analysis was the rapid and high-throughput approach for the determination of bioactives in lentils by reducing the analysis time.

Potentially Bioaccessible Phenolic and Antioxidant Potential of Fresh and Stored Lentil Sprouts-Effect of Lactobacillus plantarum 299v Enrichment.

The phenolic and antioxidant potential of potentially bioaccessible fractions of lentil sprouts was studied. Sprouts were cocultivated with a probiotic to obtain a new functional product and further stored in cool conditions. The fraction obtained after buffer extraction and gastric digestion had higher content of phenolics compared to the control (by 20% and 46%, respectively); however, a 9% decrease was observed in samples obtained after gastrointestinal digestion. After gastrointestinal digestion, the highest content of phenolics (278 µg/g d.w.) was determined in the fresh control sprouts. Compounds neutralizing ABTS and hydroxyl radicals, chelating metal ions, and exhibiting strong reducing power were effectively released after gastrointestinal digestion (e.g., the values of the gastrointestinal digestibility index for chelating power and ability to quench hydroxyl radicals significantly exceeded 1 in all studied samples). It was proved that the enrichment of sprouts with a probiotic and further storage significantly improved the antioxidant potential; compared to the fresh control sprouts, an increase by 45% and 10% was determined after the gastric and gastrointestinal digestion, respectively. Lentil sprouts enriched with L. plantarum 299v may be a new functional product characterized by the high antioxidant capacity of the potentially bioaccessible fraction.

Modulation of Oxidative Stress and Hemostasis by Flavonoids from Lentil Aerial Parts.

While specific metabolites of lentil (Lens culinaris L.) seeds and their biological activity have been well described, other organs of this plant have attracted little scientific attention. In recent years, green parts of lentils have been shown to contain diverse acylated flavonoids. This work presents the results of the research on the effect of the crude extract, the phenolic fraction, and seven flavonoids obtained from aerial parts of lentils on oxidative damage induced by H2O2/Fe to lipid and protein constituents of human plasma. Another goal was to determine their effect on hemostasis parameters of human plasma in vitro. Most of the purified lentil flavonoids had antioxidant and anticoagulant properties. The crude extract and the phenolic fraction of lentil aerial parts showed antioxidant activity, only at the highest tested concentration (50 µg/mL). Our results indicate that aerial parts of lentils may be recommended as a source of bioactive substances.

In Vitro and In Vivo Protective Effects of Lentil (Lens culinaris) Extract against Oxidative Stress-Induced Hepatotoxicity.

Excessive oxidative stress plays a role in hepatotoxicity and the pathogenesis of hepatic diseases. In our previous study, the phenolic extract of beluga lentil (BLE) showed the most potent in vitro antioxidant activity among extracts of four common varieties of lentils; thus, we hypothesized that BLE might protect liver cells against oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity. BLE was evaluated for its protective effects against oxidative stress-induced hepatotoxicity in AML12 mouse hepatocytes and BALB/c mice. H2O2 treatment caused a marked decrease in cell viability; however, pretreatment with BLE (25-100 µg/mL) for 24 h significantly preserved the viability of H2O2-treated cells up to about 50% at 100 µg/mL. As expected, BLE dramatically reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in a dose-dependent manner in H2O2-treated cells. Further mechanistic studies demonstrated that BLE reduced cellular ROS levels, partly by increasing expression of antioxidant genes. Furthermore, pretreatment with BLE (400 mg/kg) for 2 weeks significantly reduced serum levels of alanine transaminase and triglyceride by about 49% and 40%, respectively, and increased the expression and activity of glutathione peroxidase in CCl4-treated BALB/c mice. These results suggest that BLE protects liver cells against oxidative stress, partly by inducing cellular antioxidant system; thus, it represents a potential source of nutraceuticals with hepatoprotective effects.

Silicon supplementation improves the nutritional and sensory characteristics of lentil seeds obtained from drought-stressed plants.

BACKGROUND: Lentil is an important nutritionally rich pulse crop in the world. Despite having a prominent role in human health and nutrition, it is very unfortunate that global lentil production is adversely limited by drought stress, causing a huge decline in yield and productivity. Drought stress can also affect the nutritional profile of seeds. Silicon (Si) is an essential element for plants and a general component of the human diet found mainly in plant-based foods. This study investigated the effects of Si on nutritional and sensory properties of seeds obtained from lentil plants grown in an Si-supplied drought-stressed environment. RESULTS: Significant enhancements in the concentration of nutrients (protein, carbohydrate, dietary fibre, Si) and antioxidants (ascorbate, phenol, flavonoids, total antioxidants) were found in seeds. Significant reductions in antinutrients (trypsin inhibitor, phytic acid, tannin) were also recorded. A novel sensory analysis was implemented in this study to evaluate the unconscious and conscious responses of consumers. Biometrics were integrated with a traditional sensory questionnaire to gather consumers responses. Significant positive correlations (R = 0.6-1) were observed between sensory responses and nutritional properties of seeds. Seeds from Si-treated drought-stressed plants showed higher acceptability scores among consumers. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that Si supplementation can improve the nutritional and sensory properties of seeds. This study offers an innovative approach in sensory analysis coupled with biometrics to accurately assess a consumer's preference towards tested samples. In the future, the results of this study will help in making a predictive model for sensory traits and nutritional components in seeds using machine-learning modelling techniques. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

The development of lentil derived protein-iron complexes and their effects on iron deficiency anemia in vitro.

Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is the most common nutrient-dependent health problem in the world and could be reversed by commercially available iron supplementation. The form of iron supplement is important due to its toxicity on the gastrointestinal system (GI), so the development of new dietary strategies might be important for the prevention of IDA. It has been shown that plant-based proteins bind to iron and might decrease the free form of iron before absorption and increase iron bioavailability. Thus, we aimed to form lentil derived protein-iron complexes and to test the functional properties of hydrolysed protein-iron complexes in anemic Caco-2 cell line. Our main findings were that (i) lentil derived proteins had the capacity to chelate iron minerals and (ii) hydrolysed protein-iron complexes significantly reduced the mRNA levels of iron regulated divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT1), transferrin receptor (TFR), and ankyrin repeat domain 37 (ANKRD37) marker genes that were induced by iron deficiency anemia. The current findings suggest that hydrolysed protein-iron complexes might have functional properties in iron deficiency anemia in vitro. Further in vivo studies are necessary to show lentil derived proteins and iron might be used as supplements or food additives to reduce the risk of iron deficiency anemia.

Microwave radiation-induced grafting of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride onto lentil extract (LE-g-DMC) as an emerging high-performance plant-based grafted coagulant.

The importance of graft copolymerization in the field of polymer science is analogous to the importance of alloying in the field of metals. This is attribute to the ability of the grafting method to regulate the properties of polymer 'tailor-made' according to specific needs. This paper described a novel plant-based coagulant, LE-g-DMC that synthesized through grafting of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl trimethyl ammonium chloride (DMC) onto the backbone of the lentil extract. The grafting process was optimized through the response surface methodology (RSM) using three-level Box-Behnken Design (BBD). Under optimum conditions, a promising grafting percentage of 120% was achieved. Besides, characterization study including SEM, zeta potential, TGA, FTIR and EDX were used to confirm the grafting of the DMC monomer chain onto the backbone of lentil extract. The grafted coagulant, LE-g-DMC outperformed lentil extract and alum in turbidity reduction and effective across a wide range of pH from pH 4 to pH 10. Besides, the use of LE-g-DMC as coagulant produced flocs with excellent settling ability (5.09 mL/g) and produced the least amount of sludge. Therefore, from an application and economic point of views, LE-g-DMC was superior to native lentil extract coagulant and commercial chemical coagulant, alum.

Application of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) to modify functional, structural and rheological properties of lentil (Lens culinaris) proteins.

The ability of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) to modify the functional, structural and rheological properties of lentil protein isolate (LPI) suspensions were investigated. Protein patterns remained unchanged with HPH treatment. Particle size significantly decreased up to 100 MPa treatment and size distribution was mono-modal after 50 MPa. Microstructural images revealed that increasing pressure from 50 to 150 MPa caused further unfolding of protein particles, which well supported to water solubility, emulsifying, foaming and particle size results. LPI suspensions had shear thinning behavior and results were well fitted to Ostwald de-Waele model (R2 ≥ 0.989). Apparent viscosity and homogenization pressure were modeled with exponential and sigmoidal functions (R2 ≥ 0.983). However, weak gel-like structure was observed from all samples due to G' > G″, and higher homogenization pressures than 50 MPa caused more pronounced gelation after 51.78 °C. These results stated that HPH treatment has a good potential to modify the functional, structural and rheological properties of LPI suspensions.

Food as medicine: Selenium enriched lentils offer relief against chronic arsenic poisoning in Bangladesh.

Chronic arsenic (As) exposure is a major environmental threat to human health affecting >100 million people worldwide. Low blood selenium (Se) increases the risk of As-induced health problems. Our aim was to reduce As toxicity through a naturally Se-rich lentil diet. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-control trial in Bangladesh, 405 participants chronically exposed to As were enrolled. The intervention arm (Se-group) consumed Se-rich lentils (55 µg Se/day); the control arm received lentils of similar nutrient profile except with low Se (1.5 µg Se/day). Anthropometric measurements, blood, urine and stool samples, were taken at baseline, 3 and 6 months; hair at baseline and 6 months after intervention. Morbidity data were collected fortnightly. Measurements included total As in all biological samples, As metabolites in urine, and total Se in blood and urine. Intervention with Se-rich lentils resulted in higher urinary As excretion (p = 0.001); increased body mass index (p ≤ 0.01), and lower incidence of asthma (p = 0.05) and allergy (p = 0.02) compared to the control group. The Se-group demonstrated increased excretion of urinary As metabolite, dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) at 6 months compared to control group (p = 0.008). Consuming Se-rich lentils can increase As excretion and improve the health indicators in the presence of continued As exposure.

"Evaluation of the effect of roasted lentil flour (lentil savigh) as a functional food in menstrual bleeding reduction".

BACKGROUND: Menorrhagia is a regular menstrual cycle lasting more than seven days and/or blood loss over 80 mL per cycle. One of the herbs recommended in Iranian traditional medicine for menorrhagia treatment is lentil savigh, which is the flour made from roasted lentil (Lens culinaris medic). METHODS: The current randomized clinical trial was conducted on 54 patients within the age range of 18 to 50 years randomly divided into two groups. The treatment group took three 10-gram lentil savigh sachets in the morning. The control group was treated with 500 mg tranexamic acid capsule every eight hours, both from the first day of menstruation for seven days. Patient's bleeding was evaluated by the pictorial blood loss assessment chart (PBAC), before and in each of the three treatment cycles. Quality of life was evaluated by the menorrhagia questionnaire (MQ) at the beginning and the end of the study for each patient. RESULTS: The mean (SD) of PBAC scores significantly decreased before and after three cycles from 383.5(163) to 222.1(128.6) in the lentil savigh group (P < 0.0001), and from 333.8(141.3) to 239.1(132.6) in the tranexamic acid group (P < 0.0001). There was no significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.6). Quality of life significantly improved in the lentil savigh group from 61.5(12.3) to 34.4(14.6) in comparison with that of the tranexamic acid group changing from 56.3(11.1) to 46.8(12.7) (P < 0.004). CONCLUSION: Both products were effective in menstrual bleeding reduction, but lentil savigh improved the quality of life more effectively. Therefore, lentil savigh, as a functional food, could be introduced as a good initial choice for menorrhagia treatment.

UPLC-MS metabolome based classification of Lupinus and Lens seeds: A prospect for phyto-equivalency of its different accessions.

Fabaceae is well-known for its seed nutritious and bioactive composition as exemplified by Lupinus and Lens. Developing efficient analytical approaches for profiling their bioactive matrix is a prerequisite to provide proof for their health benefits or nutritive traits. Eight Lupinus and Lens seed accessions were subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS)-based metabolomic study, which identified 66 metabolites, viz. flavonoids, alkaloids, saponins, phenolics, fatty acids and sphingolipids. Chemometric tools were explored to assess heterogeneity across the two genera leading to elucidation of the species-most enriched and differential metabolites. The two dark-colored lentil cultivars are identified as the richest source of functional foods with presumed therapeutic benefits; however, Lupinus hispanicus was proved to be the most nutritive accession. To our knowledge, this study provides the first UPLC-MS-based comparative metabolite profiling of Lupinus and Lens seeds. This platform was also able to discern metabolites diversity at the intraspecific level among Lupinus species and Lens cultivars.

Acid hydrolysis of saponin-rich extracts of quinoa, lentil, fenugreek and soybean to yield sapogenin-rich extracts and other bioactive compounds.

BACKGROUND: Typical hydrolysis times of saponins generally do not take into consideration the effect of time on the degradation of the target compounds, namely sapogenins. When producing natural extracts, it should be borne in mind that conducting hydrolysis to yield a target compound might also affect the final composition of the extracts in terms of other bioactive compounds. In our study, saponin-rich extracts from fenugreek, quinoa, lentil, and soybean were produced and their acid hydrolysis to give sapogenin-rich extracts was conducted over different periods (0-6 h). The disappearance of saponins and appearance of sapogenins was analyzed using high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection-mass spectrometry (HPLC-DAD-MS) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), respectively. The impact of hydrolysis on the phytosterols and tocopherol in the extracts was also evaluated. RESULTS: Fenugreek showed the highest saponin content (169 g kg-1 ), followed by lentil (20 g kg-1 ), quinoa (15 g kg-1 ), and soybean (13 g kg-1 ). Hydrolysis for 1 h caused the complete disappearance of saponins and the greatest release of sapogenins. Hydrolyzed fenugreek and quinoa extracts contained the highest amounts of sapogenins and minor fractions of phytosterols and tocopherol. Hydrolyzed extracts of lentil and soybean contained a major fraction of phytosterols and a low fraction of sapogenins. In all cases, sapogenins decreased after 1 h of hydrolysis, phytosterols slightly decreased, and tocopherol was unaffected. Standards of diosgenin and oleanolic acid also showed this decreasing pattern under acid hydrolysis conditions. CONCLUSION: Hydrolysis times of 1 h for saponin-rich extracts from the assayed seeds guarantee the maximum transformation to sapogenin-rich extracts, along with phytosterols and tocopherol. Fenugreek and quinoa seeds are preferred for this. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Influence of extruded lentil containing high chromium nutritional yeast on the main physiological factors associated with metabolic syndrome in rodent models.

Insulin resistance, obesity and dyslipidemia are the main physiological factors associated with metabolic syndrome. The objectives of this study were to understand the effects of diets containing extruded lentil fortified with high chromium nutritional yeast (YCr) or chromium picolinate on glucose tolerance, clearance and fasting blood glucose concentrations in Normal and Obese (Ob/Ob) mice and to determine the effects of the diets on the mice plasma lipid profiles. Diets A, B and C contained YCr in different doses and concentrations, as follows: Diet A = 15.7 g and 16 ppm, B = 157.1 g and 16 ppm, and C = 299.3 g and 27 ppm, respectively. Diet D contained chromium picolinate at a dose and concentration of 15.7 g and 16 ppm, respectively. Intraperitoneal glucose tolerance tests and intraperitoneal insulin tolerance tests were conducted at 4-weeks and 8-weeks post diet initiation, in addition to, plasma lipoprotein profiles and organ weights. Normal mice showed only slight variability with respect to the studied biological parameters compared to the Ob/Ob mice group. Results indicated that following 4-weeks of diet supplementation, Ob/Ob mice fed diets A, C and D had significantly (p < 0.05) lower fasting blood glucose (FBG) than Ob/Ob mice fed Diet B. However, after 8-weeks Ob/Ob mice fed Diet C, containing YCr, had a significantly (p < 0.05) lower FBG than mice supplemented with Diet D, containing chromium picolinate. Therefore, based on these findings, it was concluded that YCr at the highest concentration and dose was more effective than chromium picolinate. These results indicate that ready-to-eat snacks and breakfast cereal type products supplemented with chromium in the form of YCr could be used as vehicles for the amelioration of main physiological factors associated with metabolic syndrome.

DPP-IV Inhibitory Potentials of Flavonol Glycosides Isolated from the Seeds of Lens culinaris: In Vitro and Molecular Docking Analyses.

Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP-IV), a new target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, degrades incretins such as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. DPP-IV inhibitors shorten the inactivation of GLP-1, permitting the incretin to stimulate insulin release, thereby combating hyperglycemia. In our ongoing search for new DPP-IV inhibitors from medicinal plants and foods, three flavonol glycosides (1⁻3) were isolated from the seeds of Lens culinaris Medikus (Fabaceae) and tested for their DPP-IV⁻inhibitory activity. We demonstrated for the first time, that compounds 1⁻3 inhibited DPP-IV activity in a concentration-dependent manner in our in vitro bioassay system. In addition, molecular docking experiments of compounds 1⁻3 within the binding pocket of DPP-IV were conducted. All investigated compounds readily fit within the active sites of DPP-IV, in low-energy conformations characterized by the flavone core structure having optimal electrostatic attractive interactions with the catalytic triad residues of DPP-IV.

Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry-Based Metabolite Profiling of Nutrients and Antinutrients in Eight Lens and Lupinus Seeds (Fabaceae).

Lens culinaris and several Lupinus species are two legumes regarded as potential protein resources aside from their richness in phytochemicals. Consequently, characterization of their metabolite composition seems warranted to be considered as a sustainable commercial functional food. This study presents a discriminatory holistic approach for metabolite profiling in accessions of four lentil cultivars and four Lupinus species via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A total of 107 metabolites were identified, encompassing organic and amino acids, sugars, and sterols, along with antinutrients, viz., alkaloids and sugar phosphates. Among the examined specimens, four nutritionally valuable accessions ought to be prioritized for future breeding to include Lupinus hispanicus, enriched in organic ( ca. 11.7%) and amino acids ( ca. 5%), and Lupinus angustifolius, rich in sucrose ( ca. 40%), along with two dark-colored lentil cultivars 'verte du Puy' and 'Black Beluga' enriched in peptides. Antinutrient chemicals were observed in Lupinus polyphyllus, owing to its high alkaloid content. Several species-specific markers were also revealed using multivariate data analyses.

Sensory Acceptability of Iron-Fortified Red Lentil (Lens culinaris Medik.) Dal.

Panelists in Saskatoon, Canada (n = 45) and Dhaka, Bangladesh (n = 98) participated in sensory evaluations of the sensory properties of both cooked and uncooked dehulled red lentil dal fortified with FeSO4 ·7H2 O, NaFeEDTA or FeSO4 ·H2 O at fortificant Fe concentrations of 800, 1,600 (both cooked and uncooked), or 2,800 ppm. Appearance, odor, and overall acceptability of cooked and uncooked samples were rated using a 9-point hedonic scale (1 = dislike extremely to 9 = like extremely). Taste and texture were rated for the cooked samples prepared as typical south Asian lentil meals. Significant differences in sensory quality were observed among all uncooked and cooked samples at both locations. Overall, scores for all sensory attributes and acceptability of uncooked lentil decreased with increasing concentration of Fe in the fortificant; however, Fe fortification (particularly with NaFeEDTA) had small effects on acceptability. Panelists from Saskatoon provided a wider range of scores than those from Bangladesh for all attributes of cooked lentil. Overall, sensory evaluation of Fe fortification using NaFeEDTA minimally affected consumer perception of color, taste, texture, odor, and overall acceptability of cooked lentil. Reliability estimates (Cronbach's alpha [CA]) indicated that consumer scores were generally consistent for all attributes of all lentil samples (mean CA > 0.80). NaFeEDTA was found to be the most suitable Fe fortificant for lentil based on consumer acceptability. Consumption of 45 to 50 g of NaFeEDTA-fortified lentil (fortificant Fe concentration of 1,600 ppm) per day meets the estimated average requirements (EARs) of Fe for humans (10.8 to 29.4 mg). PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Iron fortification of dehulled lentil dal may change organoleptic attributes that can influence consumer acceptability. Sensory evaluation by consumers helps to determine the effect on appearance, odor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability of fortified lentils. In this study, consumer acceptability was evaluated with panelists who consume lentil regularly. Panelists provided significantly different scores for 5 sensory attributes for 10 uncooked and 3 cooked lentil samples. Panelists reliably preferred NaFeEDTA as the most suitable Fe fortificant for dehulled lentils for 5 attributes. Overall, lentil dal fortified with NaFeEDTA can offer a simple and low-cost solution to human health problems associated with iron-related malnutrition.