Abstract
This study investigated the effects of germination on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), free sugars, organic acids, polyphenols, protein content, and antioxidant activity in six legumes (mung beans, Dobrudzha beans, white beans, brown lentils, red lentils and chickpeas). Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW), alongside elevated glutamate decarboxylase activity. Total polyphenols increased 3.4-fold in white beans and chickpeas by day five. Antioxidant activity (ORAC) rose in parallel, reaching 123.8 and 83.3 µmol TE/g DW in germinated white beans and chickpeas, compared to 68.4 and 45.4 µmol TE/g DW in non-germinated controls. While protein content remained stable, levels of free sugars (notably maltose) increased during germination. Organic acids rose across all samples as well, with quinic acid being the most abundant and showing the sharpest increase. Initial freezing had a clear effect on enhancing GABA accumulation compared to non-treated seeds, but generally exerted neutral effects on other bioactive components. Overall, germination triggered biochemical transformations in seeds, enriching them with bioactive compounds and enhancing their nutritional and functional properties, with chickpeas emerging as a particularly rich source of GABA, polyphenols, and organic acids, supporting their potential in functional food development.
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Claims 13
Claim · model-written summary
Germination for 5 days significantly increased GABA across all six legumes.
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
Claim · model-written summary
In chickpeas, GABA rose 18-fold to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight during germination.
- Taxon
- chickpeas
Cicer arietinume0 - Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- GABAe0
- Direction
- risee0
- Value
- 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)e0
- Qualifier
- 18-folde0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
Claim · model-written summary
Total polyphenols increased 3.4-fold in white beans by day five of germination.
- Taxon
- white beanse1
- Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- Total polyphenolse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 3.4-folde1
- Qualifier
- by day fivee1
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e1“Total polyphenols increased 3.4-fold in white beans and chickpeas by day five”
Claim · model-written summary
Total polyphenols increased 3.4-fold in chickpeas by day five of germination.
- Taxon
- chickpeasCicer arietinume1
- Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- Total polyphenolse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 3.4-folde1
- Qualifier
- by day fivee1
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e1“Total polyphenols increased 3.4-fold in white beans and chickpeas by day five”
Claim · model-written summary
Antioxidant activity (ORAC) of germinated white beans rose to 123.8 µmol TE/g DW, compared with non-germinated controls.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e2“Antioxidant activity (ORAC) rose in parallel, reaching 123.8 and 83.3 µmol TE/g DW in germinated white beans and chickpeas, compared to 68.4 and 45.4 µmol TE/g DW in non-germinated controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Antioxidant activity (ORAC) of germinated chickpeas rose to 83.3 µmol TE/g DW, compared with non-germinated controls.
- Taxon
- chickpeasCicer arietinume2
- Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- Antioxidant activity (ORAC)e2
- Direction
- rosee2
- Value
- 83.3e2
- Qualifier
- µmol TE/g DWe2
- Comparator
- non-germinated controlse2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e2“Antioxidant activity (ORAC) rose in parallel, reaching 123.8 and 83.3 µmol TE/g DW in germinated white beans and chickpeas, compared to 68.4 and 45.4 µmol TE/g DW in non-germinated controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Protein content of the legumes remained stable during germination.
- Taxon
- legumese0
- Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- protein contente3
- Direction
- remained stablee3
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e3“While protein content remained stable, levels of free sugars (notably maltose) increased during germination”
Claim · model-written summary
Free sugars increased during germination, notably maltose.
- Taxon
- legumese0
- Treatment
- germinatione3
- Outcome
- free sugarse3
- Direction
- increasede3
- Qualifier
- notably maltosee3
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e3“While protein content remained stable, levels of free sugars (notably maltose) increased during germination”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic acids rose across all germinated legume samples.
- Taxon
- legumese0
- Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- Organic acidse4
- Direction
- rosee4
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e4“Organic acids rose across all samples as well, with quinic acid being the most abundant and showing the sharpest increase”
Claim · model-written summary
Quinic acid was the most abundant organic acid and showed the sharpest increase during germination.
- Taxon
- legumese0
- Treatment
- germinated for 5 days at room temperaturee0
- Outcome
- quinic acide4
- Direction
- sharpest increasee4
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e4“Organic acids rose across all samples as well, with quinic acid being the most abundant and showing the sharpest increase”
Claim · model-written summary
Initial freezing before germination enhanced GABA accumulation compared with non-treated seeds.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e5“Initial freezing had a clear effect on enhancing GABA accumulation compared to non-treated seeds, but generally exerted neutral effects on other bioactive components”
Claim · model-written summary
Initial freezing had neutral effects on other bioactive components compared with non-treated seeds.
Verbatim
e0“Seeds were germinated for 5 days at room temperature, with or without an initial freezing pretreatment at -18 °C for 20 h. Daily analysis revealed significant increases in GABA across all legumes, especially chickpeas, which showed an 18-fold rise to 210.5 mg/100 g dry weight (DW)”
e5“Initial freezing had a clear effect on enhancing GABA accumulation compared to non-treated seeds, but generally exerted neutral effects on other bioactive components”
Claim · model-written summary
Chickpeas are a particularly rich source of GABA, polyphenols and organic acids among the legumes studied.
- Taxon
- chickpeasCicer arietinume6
- Outcome
- rich source of GABA, polyphenols, and organic acidse6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“chickpeas emerging as a particularly rich source of GABA, polyphenols, and organic acids”
The same questions in other papers
stage · molecular: metabolites · Cicer arietinum (chickpea)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 2 in the opposite direction
- negative
- no effect
- positive
1 paper more in this group
See all 5 papers →stage · quality: phytochemicals · Cicer arietinum (chickpea)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.