The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of enzymatic, thermal, and soaking treatments on antinutritional factors as well as nutritional content of black and pinto beans to produce common bean flours. Black and pinto beans were soaked and treated with either enzymatic complex containing cellulase, hemicellulase, and β‐glucanase or thermally treated by autoclave. Black and pinto beans that were bicarbonate‐soaked, cooked, and enzymatically treated presented the highest reduction on the α‐galactooligosaccharides (α‐GOS) content (p < .05) by more than 62% and the tannins content by 58% maintaining the nutritional quality. Similarly, after thermal treatments (autoclaving 3 min) both market classes showed a reduction greater than 49% (p < .05) on the α‐GOS concentration and 80% reduction on tannins levels, while still conserving nutritional attributes. The nonspecific enzyme complex presented a side activity and hydrolyzed the α‐GOS. α‐GOS were reduced in common bean flour while protein and dietary fiber were maintained. Practical applications Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is an inexpensive and important source of protein and complex carbohydrates. Enzymatic, thermal, and soaking treatments on black and pinto beans reduced the principal components that produce flatulence and other intestinal discomforts. This could be a more practical option to reduce these components apart from α‐galactosidase. As a final product, a common bean flour rich in proteins, dietary fiber, and partially free of α‐GOS was obtained, which could be employed as an alternative ingredient in baked, extruded, and specialized foods for people with digestive problems.

This work evaluates the environmental impact of Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTP) based on data generated by the exergy analysis, calculating and applying environmental impact indexes for two WTP located in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo. The environmental impact of the waste water treatment plants was done by means of evaluating two environmental impact exergy based indexes: the environmental exergy efficiency (ηenv,exerg) and the total pollution rate (Rpol,t). The environmental exergy efficiency is defined as the ratio of the exergy of the useful effect of the WTP to the total exergy consumed by human and natural resources, including all the exergy inputs. That relation is an indication of the theoretical potential of future improvements of the process. Besides the environmental exergy efficiency, it is also used the total pollution rate, based on the definition done by Makarytchev (1997), as the ratio of the destroyed exergy associated to the process wastes to the exergy of the useful effect of the process. The analysis of the results shows that this method can be used to quantify and also optimise the environmental performance of Wastewater Treatment Plants.