title: Valorization of traditional foods: nutritional and bioactive properties of Cicer arietinum L. and Lathyrus sativus L. pulses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The use of traditional foods can enrich our diet, perpetuating important elements of local knowledge and cultural inheritance. Raw, soaked and cooked samples of two Fabaceae species (Cicer arietinum L. and Lathyrus sativus L.) were characterized regarding nutritional and bioactive properties.
  
  
  RESULTS
  L. sativus gave the highest carbohydrate, protein, ash, saturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid content, and lowest fat and energy value. Furthermore, it also showed the highest concentration of flavonoids and antioxidant activity. Cicer arietinum gave the highest concentration of sugars, organic acids and tocopherols. The soaking process did not significantly affect macronutrients, but cooking (boiling) decreased protein, ash, sugars and organic acids, and increased carbohydrates, fat, tocopherols, bioactive compounds and antioxidant activity. No differences were obtained for fatty acid composition.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study highlights the nutritional profile and bioactive properties of these agricultural varieties of C. arietinum and L. sativus pulses, and valorizes their traditional consumption and the use in modern diets.
authors.affiliation: Mountain Research Centre (CIMO), ESA, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, 5301-855, Bragança, Portugal.
authors.forename: Alzira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sarmento
authors.forename: Lillian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Ângela
authors.initials: Â
authors.lastname: Fernandes
authors.forename: Ana Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.forename: Isabel C F R
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Ferreira
mesh_terms: D000975:Antioxidants / Q000032:analysis; D002264:Carboxylic Acids / Q000032:analysis; D029863:Cicer / Q000737:chemistry*; D004032:Diet; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000032:analysis; D002149:Energy Intake; D005419:Flavonoids / Q000032:analysis; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D027807:Lathyrus / Q000737:chemistry*; D009753:Nutritive Value; D024505:Tocopherols / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D002264:Carboxylic Acids; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D005419:Flavonoids; D024505:Tocopherols
keywords: Cicer arietinum; Lathyrus sativus; bioactivity; chromatography; nutritional; traditional foods