CHAPTER 7: Non-nutritional Factors: Lectins, Phytic Acid, Proteases Inhibitors, Allergens

The seeds of legumes are a rich source of bioactive compounds with variable biochemistry and physiological effects. Their concentration, biochemical structure and exposure time and their interaction with other dietary components influence the balance between deleterious and beneficial effects. Thus, they can be considered as antinutrients and/or pronutrients with negative and/or positive effects on health, respectively. Therefore, it is essential to know the amounts and types of these compounds in the food, and how they influence human health. Foods are processed by thermal and non-thermal methods to increase their safety, quality, preservation, and suitability for product applications. Food processing can affect the digestibility and solubility of non-nutritive factors. This contribution aims to review some of the main non-nutritive or bioactive compounds found in legumes such as lectins, phytates, protease inhibitors and allergens and the influence of thermal and non-thermal processing treatments on these non-nutritive compounds in legumes.