Proteins from Legumes as Natural Ingredients to Improve Food Quality and Security: Proteomic Characterization and Digestibility Assay

In the next decades, the food policies, the management of agricultural system and the consumers’ customs will be influenced both by imminent food needs, such as the scarcity of protein foods, and by environmental issues, such as greenhouse gas emission, deforestation or sudden climate changes. Therefore, we are going towards a new food revolution with strong social and environmental bases (eco-sustainability policies, the overcame of intensive livestock, the reduction in animal-based food consumption, etc.). Consequently, the food technology sector can not be unprepared. It must quickly 'restructure' itself on the base of these new needs in order to provide immediate and efficient solutions. In this perspective, the present PhD thesis assessed the use of proteins from legumes (soybeans, chickpeas and grass pea) in the production of low cost and eco-sustainable ingredients for nutraceutical foods. Briefly, the PhD thesis achievements showed that proteins and peptides isolated from legumes have biological properties (i.e. antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-hypertensive activities) able to increase both food quality and security. In addition, germination resulted to be a suitable method to produce legume ingredients that are highly nutritious and hypoallergenic.