Short-Time Germination Modifies Chickpea Grains and Enhances the Production of High-Quality Functional Beverages: Insights into the Soaking Stage in Transformation Processes

The germination process of grains is a simple and cost-effective method to enhance the food matrix, facilitating the release of additional or novel bioactive components that can be incorporated into products derived from these grains. However, prolonged processes, while effective, are labor-intensive and may increase the risk of product contamination. In this study, we investigated the transformations in chickpeas (var. BRS Cristalino) following 12 h of soaking and 1 day of germination, as well as their effects on the production of aqueous extracts, aiming to improve chickpea-based beverage formulations. The results revealed that the soaking step alone led to significant changes in the soluble components. There was a notable increase in amylase and protease activities, with the latter increasing 5-fold. The total soluble glucose in the extract increased by 20% after soaking, and the protein digestibility improved by 30%. Germination further enhanced digestibility, reaching approximately 50% more than that observed in the untreated grains. Similarly, both soaking and germination altered the trypsin inhibitory activity of the extracts, reducing it by 45 and 80%, respectively, compared with the extract produced from raw chickpeas. Additionally, the antioxidant activity of the extracts increased with both soaking and germination, reaching a 200% increase when evaluated using the DPPH assay. Although no enhancement in ACE and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities was observed, all extracts demonstrated an inhibitory potential. The data suggest that soaking, a common step preceding germination, already induces initial modifications in the grains, altering the solubility of their components and resulting in distinct aqueous extracts. These findings indicate that germination could be a promising process for producing beverages with functional properties. They also highlight the need for further investigation into the effects of even shorter soaking and germination times.