Abstract

Processing of legumes before consumption has several effects on micronutrients, macronutrients and phytonutrients. This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of domestic processing on antioxidant activities and phenolic phytochemicals of the red bambara groundnuts and red beans. The study employed in vitro antioxidant assays (DPPH and FRAP) to screen for antioxidant properties, HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS and Folin Ciocalteu assay to screen for phenolic phytochemical profiles. Domestic cooking displayed positive effects on the antioxidant activity and phenolic phytochemical profiles of the two legumes. The free radical scavenging speed increased 10-fold in the methanolic extract from cooked red bambara groundnuts compared to uncooked. By contrast, the free radical scavenging speed increased 20-fold in the methanolic extract from cooked red beans compared to uncooked. HPLC-PDA-ESI-MS profiles of the cooked red bambara groundnuts and red beans revealed a number of emergent phenolic compounds, mainly flavonoids. These data indicate that cooking appear to enhance the nutraceutical profiles of the legumes investigated.

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