Dough Rheological Properties and Macronutrient Bioavailability of Cereal Products Fortified through Legume Proteins

Abstract

Cereal products are regarded as important protein providers, though they could feature poor nutritional quality due to their occasional imbalanced amino acid content. Cereal proteins are low in cysteine or tryptophan, and rich in methionine; however, while their combination with legume proteins makes them nutritionally more comprehensive, such a possibility must be addressed by the cereal processing industry. However, the incorporation of legume protein concentrates and isolates might also influence the functionality and bioavailability of some cereal constituents. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to gain insights into the effects of cereal products incorporated with legume protein isolates/concentrates, knowing that both the cereals and the protein extracts/isolates are complex structural matrices, and besides the final products acceptability they should efficiently promote the health condition of consumers. The combination of legume proteins with cereals will bring about a structural complexity that must harmoniously include proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, polyphenols and dietary fibers to promote the bioaccessibility, bioavailability and bioactivity without cyto- and genotoxicity.