Effect of food matrix and human gastrointestinal conditions on the <i>in vitro</i> protein hydrolysis of lentil proteins

Abstract This study aims to evaluate how food matrix, mechanical disintegration, and heat treatment can affect the protein hydrolysis of green lentils during three different in vitro gastrointestinal conditions (infant, late, and early phase adult). The hydrolysed proteins were characterised by sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and liquid chromatography coupled to quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/Q-TOF/MS). In all digestion protocols, protein hydrolysis was higher in the lentil protein isolate compared to lentil flour and cooked lentils. Apart from lentil protein isolate, proteolysis was more efficient in the late-phase intestinal digests of cooked lentils compared to digest of lentil flour. Peptides released during digestion were more frequent and had small molecular weights in cooked lentils and protein isolate. Low enzyme activity in infant digestion negatively affected proteolysis. Peptides released from len c 1.010, which is a well-known allergen during in vitro digestion, showed shared motifs with Pru p 3 from Prunus persica, Ara h 9 from Arachis hypogaea, and nonspecific lipid-transfer protein Cor a 8.0101 from Corylus avellana, which are food allergens.