Influence of Soaking Duration and Temperature on the Physicochemical and Functional Properties of a Tunisian Chickpea Cultivar
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Copyright © 2026 Sarra Sammoud, Ichrak Charfi, Mariem Bannour, Safa Barakati, Salwa Bornaz
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Background: Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is a widely consumed legume renowned for its high nutritional value. However, its utilization is constrained by the presence of antinutritional factors, such as phytates and tannins, which may compromise nutrient bioavailability. Thermal processing, particularly soaking conditions, has been reported as an effective approach for enhancing nutritional quality and reducing antinutritional compounds.
Aims: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of thermal parameters—specifically soaking time and temperature—on the nutritional and antinutritional quality of chickpeas, and to optimize these conditions utilizing a statistical experimental design.
Patients and Methods: A Central Composite Design (CCD) was implemented employing Design-Expert software to assess the combined effects of soaking temperature (20 °C, 40 °C, and 60 °C) and soaking time (6 h, 15 h, and 24 h). Chickpea samples were analyzed for physicochemical properties (dry matter, pH, and conductivity), nutritional components (crude protein and fiber contents), antinutritional factors (phytates and condensed tannins), and functional properties, including swelling and hydration capacities.
Results: Physicochemical parameters remained relatively stable across all thermal treatments. In contrast, soaking at 20 °C for 24 h resulted in increased protein and fiber contents, accompanied by a significant reduction in antinutritional factors, with decreases of 29.68% in phytates and 33.42% in condensed tannin content. Furthermore, functional properties, including swelling and hydration capacities were significantly improved under these optimized conditions.
Conclusions: Optimization of soaking time and temperature constitutes an effective strategy for enhancing the nutritional and functional properties of chickpeas while substantially reducing antinutritional factors. These findings underscore the potential of controlled thermal treatments to improve chickpea quality for food applications.
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