Degradation of α-galactosides during the germination of grain legume seeds

Germination is one of the most effective ways of preparing grain legumes for consumption. Because it involves the total or partial elimination of some anti-nutritional compounds, it is also one of the simplest methods of enhancing the palatability of grain legumes, thereby increasing their consumption as a valuable source of nutrition. The main objective of this paper is to describe the changes that take place in alpha-galactosides during germination. During germination, galactose molecules gradually become detached from a-galactosides due to the effect of the enzyme alpha-D-galactosidase activated during the process. To simulate the degradation of alpha-galactosides during legume seed germination, we applied nine equations to the evaluation of the experimental data obtained with the germination of three types of grain legume seeds; mung bean, chickpea, and lentil.