Effects of different additions of germinated lentil flour on the nutritional, structural and in vitro digestibility of rice cakes

Abstract BACKGROUND Rice cake is a popular staple food, but it has a simple nutritional composition and high glycemic response. Germinated lentil flour ( GLF ) is rich in protein and bioactive polyphenols, and exhibits great potential in improving the nutritional and functional properties of cereal‐based foods. This study investigated the effects of GLF additions (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200 g kg −1 ) on the physicochemical, textural, in vitro digestibility and structural properties of rice cakes, aiming to provide a technical basis for developing low‐glycemic functional rice cake products. RESULTS GLF supplementation significantly increased the protein and polyphenol contents and antioxidant activity, as well as protein digestibility, in the rice cakes. The interaction between GLF protein and polyphenols strengthened the dough rheological properties and improved network structure. Appropriate GLF addition reduced the hardness, cohesiveness and chewiness of rice cakes without affecting springiness. Structural analyses demonstrated the increase of crystallinity and the proportion of disordered coils within the protein secondary structure. Meanwhile, GLF incorporation raised resistant starch ( RS ) content, leading to decreased hydrolysis index and predicted glycemic index values. Electronic nose analysis confirmed that GLF additions enhanced volatile flavor compounds, particularly aldehydes and ketones. CONCLUSION GLF modification effectively optimized the nutritional composition, textural characteristics and in vitro hypoglycemic potential of rice cakes. These findings provide a theoretical framework for developing functional staple foods with enhanced nutritional and sensory attributes. © 2026 Society of Chemical Industry.