Legumes are protein-rich foods that can be used to prepare pastes or pureed foods suitable for babies and the elderly. The aims of this study were the characterization of different legume pastes (from soybean, lentil, and pea) subjected to three processing methods (ordinary cooking, pressure cooking, and microwave) and the evaluation of protein digestion and antioxidant activity during simulated gastrointestinal digestion (GID). The different cooking methods of legumes led to differences in the physicochemical properties of the pastes, as well as on the textural and viscoelastic characteristics, except for soybean samples, despite all the pastes presenting elastic properties and weak gel behavior. Cooking followed by GID improved the protein digestibility and antioxidant activity of the legumes, which was attributed to released peptides and amino acids more than free phenolics. However, the fate and extent at each digestion stage was different according to the legume type and cooking method, as it would be influenced by the matrix structure and interaction between components. This work has expanded knowledge about the properties, digestibility, and antioxidant activity of different cooked legumes for a future design of pastes.
Keywords: antioxidant peptides; digestibility; heating; legumes; proteolysis; rheology.