Impact of Pretreatments on Protein Digestibility and Chemical and Functional Properties of Selected Underutilized Legumes

The aim of this study was to determine how various pretreatments affect the quality, protein content, and functional properties of six underutilized legumes (ULs) as alternative sources of dietary protein. Different soaking, boiling, dry heating, and nixtamalization techniques were used. The outcomes of the pretreatments, evaluated following standard analytical techniques, varied with each legume, with no specific trends observed. The protein content of the treated legumes ranged from 19.89% in Bambara groundnut ( Vigna subterranea ) to 37.28% in African locust beans ( Parkia biglobossa ). The protein digestibility of the legumes increased after pretreatment, ranging from 0.75 to 0.82. The protein digestibility corrected amino acid score values revealed that some essential amino acids may be lost due to the pretreatment methods, although none of the pretreatments were found to completely deplete essential amino acids. The functional properties determined suggest that these ULs could be useful in food applications, such as baked goods and complementary foods.