Background

Proteins are essential macronutrients of the human diet. Currently, major dietary sources in developed countries are of animal origin. However, the association of red meat consumption to the increased risks of some health conditions and its unsustainable pressure on the environment have increased the interest in plant proteins as healthier and sustainable alternatives. Of these, legumes have a great potential, but part of their proteins are indigestible due to interaction with other components such as phytate and polyphenols. As such, the quest to improve protein accessibility has become of interest to many researchers. Germination is proposed to be a bioprocess method to improve protein digestibility and protein biological properties.

Scope and approach

This review discusses the importance of plant proteins and the hindrance of protein digestibility. This paper also highlights the role of germination in the deactivation of antinutritional factors, hydrolysis of indigestible proteins, and improvement of properties and content of proteins of different legume seeds.

Key findings and conclusions

Protein digestibility is dependent on the nature of antinutritional factors (e.g. trypsin inhibitors and phytate) in the food matrix. Germination represses the activity of trypsin inhibitors and removes the phytate-related inhibition through hydrolysis. Protein content increases in germinated seeds when compared to non-germinated ones, suggesting that proteins were either hydrolysed or dissociated from antinutritional factors. Germination seems like an adequate bioprocessing method to improve the content and nutritional quality of legume seed proteins.

中文翻译：

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萌发是一种生物过程，可提高豆类蛋白质的质量和营养前景

背景

蛋白质是人类饮食中必不可少的大量营养素。当前，发达国家的主要饮食来源是动物。然而，红肉的消费与某些健康状况风险的增加及其对环境的不可持续压力之间的联系使人们对植物蛋白作为更健康，可持续的替代品的兴趣日益浓厚。其中，豆类具有很大的潜力，但由于与其他成分（如植酸盐和多酚）的相互作用，其部分蛋白质难以消化。这样，提高蛋白质可及性的探索已成为许多研究人员的兴趣所在。萌发被认为是一种提高蛋白质消化率和蛋白质生物学特性的生物工艺方法。

范围和方法

这篇评论讨论了植物蛋白质的重要​​性和蛋白质消化率的障碍。本文还强调了发芽在抗营养因子失活，难消化蛋白质的水解以及不同豆类种子蛋白质性质和含量改善方面的作用。

主要发现和结论

蛋白质的消化率取决于食物基质中抗营养因子（例如胰蛋白酶抑制剂和肌醇六磷酸）的性质。萌发抑制胰蛋白酶抑制剂的活性，并通过水解去除肌醇六磷酸相关的抑制作用。与未发芽的种子相比，发芽的种子中蛋白质的含量增加，表明蛋白质已被水解或与抗营养因子解离。发芽似乎是一种适当的生物加工方法，可以提高豆类种子蛋白质的含量和营养质量。