Pulses are recommended for healthy eating due to their high content of nutrients and bioactive compounds that can undergo changes during cooking. This study investigated the effects of four cooking methods (boiling, pressure, microwave, slow) and three heating solutions (water, salt, sugar) on the phenolic acids and antioxidant properties of three pulses (faba beans, lentils, peas). The composition of phenolic acids differed among the three pulses with p-coumaric and ferulic being the dominant acids. Cooking increased free phenolic acids and lessened bound phenolic acids in faba beans and peas, while decreased both free and bound phenolic acids in lentils. Cooking resulted in reductions in total phenol content (TPC) in faba bean methanol and bound extracts. Pressure and microwave cooking increased TPC in lentil methanol extracts, while pot boiling and slow cooking reduced TPC. Microwave cooking resulted in increases in TPC in bound phenolic extracts from lentils. For peas, cooking increased TPC in both methanol and bound phenolic extracts. Significant changes were also observed in the antioxidant capacity of cooked pulses based on the scavenging ability of DPPH, ABTS and peroxyl radicals subject to the type of pulse, polyphenol and antioxidant assay. Despite the significant reduction in antioxidants, high amounts of phenolics with potent antioxidant activities are still found in cooked pulses.
Keywords: antioxidant activity; faba bean; lentil; pea; polyphenols; pressure and microwave cooking; slow; traditional.