Attention has been given to more (semi-)dynamic in vitro digestion approaches, ascertaining the consequences of dynamic in vivo aspects on in vitro digestion kinetics. As these often come with time...

Mineral (Mg, Ca, Fe and Zn) bioaccessibility in common beans was evaluated taking into consideration the common bean food chain from postharvest storage over processing (soaking and cooking) until consumption....

Pulses are increasingly being put forward as part of healthy diets because they are rich in protein, (slowly digestible) starch, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. In pulses, nutrients are bioencapsulated by a cell wall, which mostly survives cooking followed by mechanical disintegration (e.g., mastication). In this review, we describe how different steps in the postharvest pulse value chain affect starch and protein digestion and the mineral bioaccessibility of pulses by influencing both their nutritional composition and structural integrity. Processing conditions that influence structural characteristics, and thus potentially the starch and protein digestive properties of (fresh and hard-to-cook [HTC]) pulses, have been reported in literature and are summarized in this review. The effect of thermal treatment on the pulse microstructure seems highly dependent on pulse type-specific cell wall properties and postharvest storage, which requires further investigation. In contrast to starch and protein digestion, the bioaccessibility of minerals is not dependent on the integrity of the pulse (cellular) tissue, but is affected by the presence of mineral antinutrients (chelators). Although pulses have a high overall mineral content, the presence of mineral antinutrients makes them rather poorly accessible for absorption. The negative effect of HTC on mineral bioaccessibility cannot be counteracted by thermal processing. This review also summarizes lessons learned on the use of pulses for the preparation of foods, from the traditional use of raw-milled pulse flours, to purified pulse ingredients (e.g., protein), to more innovative pulse ingredients in which cellular arrangement and bioencapsulation of macronutrients are (partially) preserved.

Processing results in the transformation of pulses’ structural architecture. Consequently, digestion is anticipated to emerge from the combined effect of intrinsic (matrix-dependent) and extrinsic (processed-induced) factors. In this work, we aimed to investigate the interrelated effect of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on pulses’ structural architecture and resulting digestive consequences. Three commercially relevant pulses (chickpea, pea, black bean) were selected based on reported differences in macronutrient and cell wall composition. Starch and protein digestion kinetics of hydrothermally processed whole pulses were assessed along with microstructural and physicochemical characteristics and compared to the digestion behavior of individual cotyledon cells isolated thereof. Despite different rates of hardness decay upon hydrothermal processing, the pulses reached similar residual hardness values (40 N). Aligning the pulses at the level of this macrostructural property translated into similar microstructural characteristics after mechanical disintegration (isolated cotyledon cells) with comparable yields of cotyledon cells for all pulses (41–62%). We observed that processing to equivalent microstructural properties resulted in similar starch and protein digestion kinetics, regardless of the pulse type and (prolonged) processing times. This demonstrated the capacity of (residual) hardness as a food structuring parameter in pulses. Furthermore, we illustrated that the digestive behavior of isolated cotyledon cells was representative of the digestion behavior of corresponding whole pulses, opening up perspectives for the incorporation of complete hydrothermally processed pulses as food ingredients.

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Pulse seeds are nutritious and sustainable matrices with a high level of intrinsic microstructural complexity. They contain high‐quality plant‐based protein and substantial amounts of slowly digestible starch and dietary fiber. Starch and protein in pulses are located inside cotyledon cells that survive cooking and subsequent mechanical disintegration, hence preserving natural nutrient bioencapsulation. In this context, several authors have explored a number of techniques to isolate individual cotyledon cells from these seeds, aiming to unveil their digestive and physicochemical properties. In recent years, isolated pulse cotyledon cells are also being highlighted as promising novel ingredients that could improve the nutritional properties of traditionally consumed food products. Even more, they could enable to implement a strategy for increasing pulse intake in populations where these seeds have not been traditionally consumed. This review mainly focuses on the reported digestive, physicochemical, and technofunctional properties of pulse cotyledon cells isolated through different techniques, preceded by a descriptive summary of the nutritional properties, structural organization, and traditional process chain of pulse seeds. It also offers an outlook of research directions to take, based on the identified research gaps. All in all, it is clear that isolation of pulse cotyledon cells using diverse techniques constitutes a promising strategy for the development of pulse‐based ingredients where natural bioencapsulation of macronutrients is preserved. However, much more research is needed at the level of ingredient characterization to better understand the effect of starting pulse seed material, isolation technique, and isolation conditions on the nutritional and functional properties of the finished product(s) where the isolated cells are (to be) used.