title: [Germinated or fermented legumes: food or ingredients of functional food].
abstract: Epidemiological research has shown a positive association between certain diseases and dietary intake of food components found in fruits, grains, legumes, fish oil among others. Food that may provide a health benefit beyond the traditional nutrients that it contains, are named functional food. In addition to the varied nutrients, legumes contain compounds such as polyphenols, soluble fiber, alpha-galactosides and isoflavones which confer propierties of functional foods. Do to the cuse of flatus production in some people, long cooking periods, or anti-nutritional factors, legume consumption levels are limited. In this review, germination and fermentation processes will be presented as alternatives that are able to reduce or inactivate anti-nutritional factors, preserve and even improve the content of the isoflavones, or better the potencial of the legumes as functional food or as ingredients for the formulation of functional foods.
authors.affiliation: Universidad Simón Bolívar, Laboratorio de Análisis de Alimentos, Caracas-Venezuela.
authors.forename: Marbelly A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Davila
authors.forename: Elba
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sangronis
authors.forename: Marisela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Granito
mesh_terms: D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D005285:Fermentation; D005504:Food Analysis; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D058870:Food, Organic; D018525:Germination; D009753:Nutritive Value