Abstract
This study investigated the effect of low-intensity pulsed electric field (PEF) (0.3–0.7 kV/cm) and/or germination (0–72 h, 20 °C) on faba beans prior to flour- and breadmaking. PEF (0.5 and 0.7 kV/cm) had no significant effect on the germination performance of faba bean but had a positive effect on in vitro starch and protein hydrolysis of PEF-treated beans germinated for 72 h. The incorporation of flour from soaked, germinated, PEF-treated, and PEF-treated+germinated faba beans into wheat bread, at 30% mass level, improved the nutritional composition (total starch and protein contents) and protein digestibility but it reduced the specific volume and increased the density, brownness, and hardness of the bread. This finding shows for the first time that PEF-treatment (<0.7 kV/cm) of faba beans followed by germination (72 h) improved in vitro starch and protein hydrolysis of its flour and the protein digestibility at gastric phase of its enriched wheat bread.
•Low-intensity PEF did not negatively affect germination performance of faba bean.•Combined PEF and germination markedly reduced phytic acid content in faba bean.•Combined PEF and germination improved protein hydrolysis of faba bean.•Combined PEF and germination reduced the brownness of faba bean-enriched bread.•Faster protein digestion rate was noted in the gastric phase of PEF-treated faba-enriched bread.