Abstract
In the current trend where plant-based foods are preferred over animal-based foods, pulses represent an alternative source of protein but also of bioactive peptides (BPs). We investigated the pattern of protein hydrolysis during fermentation of red lentils protein isolate (RLPI) with various lactic acid bacteria and yeast strains. Hanseniaspora uvarum SY1 and Fructilactobacillus sanfranciscensis E10 were the most proteolytic microorganisms. SY1 led to the highest antiradical, ACE-inhibitory and antifungal activities, as found in low molecular weight water soluble extracts (LMW-WSE). The 2039 peptide sequences identified by LMW-WSE were screened using BIOPEP UWM database, and 36 sequences matched with known BPs. Fermentation generated 12 peptides undetected in raw RLPI. Besides, SY1 led to the highest amounts of BPs, in particular with antioxidant and ACE-inhibitory activities. KVI, LVR, and LVL were detected for the first time in fermented matrices. Forty-four novel potential BPs, worthy of further characterization, were correlated with antifungal activity.