Sprouts Use as Functional Foods. Optimization of Germination of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Seeds Based on Their Nutritional Content Evolution

Helga Francis; Espérance Debs; Mohamed Koubaa; Zeina Alrayess; Richard G Maroun; Nicolas Louka

doi:10.3390/foods11101460

Sprouts Use as Functional Foods. Optimization of Germination of Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and Radish (Raphanus sativus L.) Seeds Based on Their Nutritional Content Evolution

Foods. 2022 May 18;11(10):1460. doi: 10.3390/foods11101460.

Authors

Helga Francis¹, Espérance Debs², Mohamed Koubaa³, Zeina Alrayess¹, Richard G Maroun¹, Nicolas Louka¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre d'Analyses et de Recherche, Unité de Recherche Technologies et Valorisation Agro-Alimentaire, Faculté des Sciences, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Riad El Solh, P.O. Box 17-5208, Beirut 1104 2020, Lebanon.
² Department of Biology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, University of Balamand, P.O. Box 100, Tripoli 1300, Lebanon.
³ Centre de Recherche Royallieu, ESCOM, TIMR (Integrated Transformations of Renewable Matter), University of Technology of Compiègne, CS 60319, CEDEX, 60203 Compiègne, France.

Abstract

Wheat, alfalfa, and radish sprouts are well-renowned for their high nutritional content. However, their optimal imbibition and germination durations are rarely considered in the literature. In this study, reduced imbibition times of 3 h, 10 h, and 4 h were demonstrated for the wheat, alfalfa, and radish seeds, respectively. The evolution of their crude fat, proteins, polyphenols, antioxidant activity, and vitamins were investigated over 7 days of germination. The crude fat and protein loads of these sprouts slightly varied during germination, whereas the phenolic compounds and antioxidant activity maxed out at day 7, 5, and 6 for the wheat, alfalfa, and radish sprouts, respectively, with significant levels of catechin. The vitamins highly increased, showing noteworthy yet different peaks of growth depending on the seed and the vitamin analyzed. Interestingly, alfalfa and radish sprouts, taken at their optimal germination day, would decidedly contribute to meet our Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) of vitamins E, A, and B6. Overall, for a greater nutritional content and a potential use of these sprouts as nutraceutical ingredients, our results suggested to leave the wheat, alfalfa, and radish seeds to germinate only over 7, 4, and 6 days, respectively, after which their nutritional quality tended to decrease.

Keywords: functional food; germination; polyphenols; sprouts; vitamins.

Grants and funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the Research Council of Saint-Joseph University of Beirut (FS68 project) and the Center for Innovation and Technology (CIT) for their financial support.