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Improving the nutritional quality of pulses via germination Abstract (224)Germination is a traditional process and a re-emerging trend in healthy foods, generating an increase in scientific research on their nutritional traits and phytochemical contents. Pulses are essential in diet being rich in protein, complex carbohydrate and vitamins, and constitute an excellent complement to cereals. This review examines the physiological and biochemical changes during the germination process in pulses, taking into consideration the genotype, environmental conditions, and hormone control. Furthermore, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, and antinutritional compounds of pulses are described and the impact of germination process on their values. The earlier germination process needs a further process, such as cooking, drying, or roasting. The final product of the longer germination process (sprouting) is considered a ready-to-eat food. To this end, impacts of food processing, such as soaking and cooking, in nutritional values are also evaluated to complete the nutritional analyses of germinated pulses. The association of soaking, germination, and cooking increases the nutritional values of pulses by increasing protein/starch digestibility and vitamins content and by decreasing antinutritional compounds, such as phytate, protease, and α-amylase inhibitors. The final plant-based product allows versatility in formulation to produce novel food products and/or ingredients with a better nutritional content. This can encourage the scientific community, industry, and government to invest in research and development to increase plantbased food, to replace other products or to develop new ones.