The effect of germination on bioactive components in legume seeds was investigated in terms of the antioxidant capacity and total phenolic contents. Germination increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity of most seeds. Particularly in chickpea seeds, the isoflavone contents increased by over 100 fold, mainly due to the increase of formononetin and biochanin A level. As a result, these two compounds were conveniently isolated from the germinated seeds in preparative scale and structurally confirmed by UV-vis, ESI-MS, and (1)H NMR spectroscopies. Isoflavonoid fingerprints analyzed by HPLC-PDA and LC-ESI-MS demonstrated that germination could significantly increase isoflavonoids diversity. Twenty-five isoflavonoids were detected and identified tentatively. These include 20 isoflavones, 2 isoflavanones, and 3 pterocarpan phytoalexins. Total isoflavonoid content of germinated chickpea was approximately 5-fold of that of germinated soybean. Our findings suggest that the germinated chickpea seeds could serve as a promising functional food rich in isoflavonoids.

The contents of the bioactive compounds in red and blond grapefruits and their influence on humans suffering from hypertriglyceridemia were studied. It was found that red grapefruit has a higher content of bioactive compounds and a higher antioxidant potential than blond grapefruit, determined by oxygen radical scavenging capacity, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl, carotenoid bleaching, and Folin-Ciocalteu assays. Fifty-seven hyperlipidemic patients, ages 39-72 years, after coronary bypass surgery, recruited from the Institute's pool of volunteers, were randomly divided into three equal in number (19) groups: two experimental (red and blond groups) and one control group (CG). During 30 consecutive days of the investigation the diets of the patients of the red and blond dietary groups were daily supplemented with one equal in weight fresh red or blond grapefruit, respectively. Before and after this trial, serum lipid levels of all fractions and serum antioxidant activity were determined. It was found that serum lipid levels in patients of the red and blond groups versus the CG after treatment were decreased: (a) total cholesterol, 6.69 versus 7.92 mmol/L, 15.5%, and 7.32 versus 7.92 mmol/L, 7.6%, respectively; (b) low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, 5.01 versus 6.29 mmol/L, 20.3%, and 5.62 versus 6.29 mmol/L, 10.7%, respectively; (c) triglycerides, 1.69 versus 2.32 mmol/L, 17.2%, and 2.19 versus 2.32 mmol/L, 5.6%, respectively. No changes in the serum lipid levels in patients of the CG were found. In conclusion, fresh red grapefruit contains higher quantities of bioactive compounds and has significantly higher antioxidant potential than blond grapefruit. Diet supplemented with fresh red grapefruit positively influences serum lipid levels of all fractions, especially serum triglycerides and also serum antioxidant activity. The addition of fresh red grapefruit to generally accepted diets could be beneficial for hyperlipidemic, especially hypertriglyceridemic, patients suffering from coronary atherosclerosis.

Microbial-stressed germination of black soybeans leads to generation of a group of oxylipins, oxooctadecadienoic acids (KODEs, including 13- Z, E-KODE, 13- E, E-KODE, 9- E, Z-KODE, and 9- E, E-KODE), and their respective glyceryl esters in addition to glyceollins, a known phytoalexins present in wild and fungi-infected soybeans. Four fungi, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Rhizopus oligosporus, and white rice yeast ( Aspergillus niger wry), were applied to compare their efficiency on inducing these compounds during black soybean germination. Overall, R. oligosporus, the starter culture used in tempeh fermentation, gives the highest amounts of KODEs and glyceollins. The glyceollins and KODEs were isolated by preparative HPLC, and the structures were determined by (1)H NMR, UV-Vis, and MS spectra. On the basis of the unequal distribution of the KODEs isomers, an enzymatic reaction, instead of a nonenzymatic free radical chain reaction, is responsible for their formations. Together with other oxylipins and glyceollins, the KODEs may contribute to the soybean's defensive response to fungal infection via reaction with protein thiol groups and cell membranes. The stress-germinated black soybeans may be used as ingredients for further processing of novel functional food products with unique nutritional and flavor profiles.