Mineral Composition of Lentils: Physiological Functions, Antinutritional Effects, and Bioavailability Enhancement

Abstract

Lentil (Lens culinaris) is an important nutritious crop, grown and consumed throughout the world due to its high macro- and micronutrients contents, including minerals. Minerals have several beneficial influences on human health. Thus, lentils play a major role in food security, particularly among low-income countries. The current review aims to highlight the present knowledge on the mineral composition of lentils, compare it with the recommended dietary allowance and adequate intake of minerals, investigate the literature regarding its physiological role, give detailed information on different antinutritional factors preventing its bioavailability, and present adopted solutions to enhance the bioavailability of minerals in lentil seeds. Thereby, a literature search was conducted using reliable sources: Elsevier, Springer, PubMed, and CrossRef. Based on the previous studies, 100 g of cooked lentils, for example, may be enough to cover the recommended dietary allowance/adequate intake of iron in infants under six months and children aged one to three years. One hundred grams of cooked lentils may also cover the recommended dietary allowance/adequate intake of zinc and magnesium in infants and children aged one to three years. Hence, it is imperative that the scientists continue to show the significance of pulses as a mineral source and their effects on human health. Indeed, lentils should be exploited for a variety of purposes, mainly towards eliminating malnutrition, on the condition of being well-balanced. Lentils should be incorporated either in snacks or while preparing household, school, or hospital meals, particularly in developing countries.

Changes in antioxidant activity, phenolic compounds, fatty acids, and mineral contents of raw, germinated, and boiled lentil seeds

“…Like many other legumes, lentils ( Lens culinaris L.) from the Leguminosae family, cultivated by communities all over the world for centuries, are small edible legumes (Benayad & Aboussaleh, 2021; Samaranayaka, 2017). In general, lentils, one of the most widely grown and marketed dried legumes worldwide, are a good source of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, but low in fat (Campos‐Vega et al., 2010; Yu‐Wei & Wang, 2015).…”

Determination of the mineral profile of raw and roasted lentil flour after addition to yogurt

“…As for the other elements, several inorganic elements were present; the K was the most abundant with percentages of 0.78, 0.69, and 1.20% in Lf1, Lf2, and LF3 samples respectively, excepting the sample LF4, where the Ca was the mineral the most dominant (0.25%), followed by P as the second predominant inorganic element. Hefnawy 11 , Zia-Ul-Haq et al 1 and Benayad & Aboussaleh 14 obtained identical results where the K and P were the major elements in the lentil. The addition of lentil flour in yogurt had elevated the rate of Ca from 0.16 to 0.21% and from 0.11 to 0.25%; and that of Na from 0.07 to 0.13% and from 0.04 to 0.13% for the raw and roasted lentil flour, respectively.…”

Nutritive content of lentil

“…A five-day nitrogen balance experiment in man additionally showed that methionine was the first restricting amino acid in quite a while for man. [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]…”