Overall, 79 VOCs were identified by HS-SPME-GC-MS in the emission profiles of raw and sprouted seeds of different legume cultivars. The detected and identified VOCs belonged to seven chemical classes, including monoterpene hydrocarbons (MH), oxygenated monoterpenes (OM), sesquiterpene hydrocarbons (STH), phenylpropanoids (PP), apocarotenes (AC), nitrogen/sulfur derivatives (NSD), and non-terpene derivatives (NTD). The emitted VOCs were identified using HS-SPME/GC-MS.
3.1. Impact of germination on volatiles compounds of dry bean seeds
To evaluate the impact of germination of dry bean cultivars on the emission of volatile compounds, raw seeds (Navy beans-S, Black beans-S, and Kidney beans-S) and germinated seeds (G-Navy beans-S, G-Black beans-S, and G-Kidney beans-S), were used.
In total, 40 VOCs were identified in raw seeds: 18 for Navy beans-S, 28 for Kidney beans-S, and 30 for Black beans-S; they accounted for 98.1, 99.0, and 97.3% of total emissions, respectively. In sprouted seeds, 31 VOCs were characterized as follows: 25 for G-Navy beans-S and G-Black beans-S, and 14 for G-Kidney beans-S, accounted for 99.8, 95.6, and 97.1%, of the total emissions, respectively. As shown in Figure 1a, the most abundant chemical classes were NTD for Navy beans-S (61.4%), PP for Kidney beans-S (43.0%), and STH for Black beans-S (41.9%) following by MH (11.8%), OM (22.6%), and NTD (19.1%), respectively. The third most representative chemical classes for these samples were PP (10.2%), NTD (15.6%), and PP (16.9%), respectively. In the case of VOCs emitted by the germinated seeds, the number was as follow: 25 for G-Navy beans-S, 14 for G-Kidney beans-S, and 25 for G-Black beans-S, accounting for 99.8, 97.1, and 95.6% of the total emissions, respectively. The individual volatile profiles of raw and germinated seeds were quite different. In sprouted seeds, the composition of VOCs was changed. The germination process was accompanied by an increase of NTD constituents for all dry bean samples. Figure 1b shows that the most abundant chemical class for G-Navy beans-S, G-Kidney beans-S, and G-Black beans-S was NTD (79.8, 83.6, 68.5%, respectively), following by AP (6.4%), OM (10.6, and 12.2%), respectively. As regards to the VOCs belong to STH class, they were totally absent in G-Navy beans-S and G-Kidney beans-S and were present only in small amount in G-Black beans-S (2.5%). In the case of PP constituents, these were identified in small amounts in all germinated cultivars compared to raw samples (Figure 1a and b).
Among the identified VOCs, 39 NTD constituents were emitted by all samples: 10 for unsprouted Navy beans-S, 8 for Kidney beans-S,13 for Black beans-S, 19 for G-Navy beans-S, 9 for G-Kidney beans-S, and 12 for G-Black beans-S (Table 1). Nevertheless, the respective emissions were quite different. Figure 2 shows the different percentages identification of NTD components in sprouted legumes compared to their corresponding unsprouted versions. It can be seen from Fig.2 a and b that seed germination was accompanied by an increase of aldehydes for the three cultivars. An augmentation of the emission of alkanes, ketones, alcohols and esters was recorded especially in the profile of G-Black beans-S (Fig. 2a and b). A different profile was monitored in Navy and Black beans.
In the aroma profiles of raw and germinated beans seeds only 3 VOCs were shared the six versions of beans, such as nonanal (NTD), decanal (NTD), and limonene (MH) (Table 1). Naphthalene (NTD), (E)-Anethole, and β-caryophyllene presented the highest percentages in Navy beans-S, Kidney beans-S and Black beans-S, respectively. However, they dropped dramatically as the seeds germinated. A general increase in the percentages of nonanal, decanal and n-tetradecane was observed in sprouted seeds. Indeed, nonanal becomes the dominant emitted volatiles in all germinated cultivars. As the seeds germinated, new constituents were emitted, including heptanal (NTD), benzaldehyde (NTD), octanal (NTD), 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (NTD), 6-methylheptyl 2-propenoate (NTD), 1-undecene (NTD), (Z)-3-pentadecene (NTD), 1,8-cineole (OM), dihydrocitronellol (OM), carvacrol (OM), p-cymene (MH). On the other hand, because of sprouting, many VOCs disappeared in the emission bouquet such as (E)-2-nonenal (NTD), p-anisaldehyde (NTD), n-undecane (NTD), naphthalene (NTD), linalool (OM), carvone (OM), α-humulene (STH), ar-curcumene (STH), and (E)-anethole (PP).
3.2. Impact of germination on volatiles compounds of dry bean flours
To evaluate the impact of germination and milling of dry beans cultivars on the emission of VOCs, raw (Navy beans-F, Black beans-F, and Kidney beans-F), and germinated (G-Navy beans-F, G-Black beans-F, and G-Kidney beans-F) flours were used. For these samples 56 VOCs were identified and classified into seven chemical classes: NTD (18), OM (13), STH (10), MH (8), PP (4), NSD (1), and AC (1). The impact of germination and milling was summarized in Table 1, which revealed that each flour sample had a different volatile emission compared to its corresponding seed. The total percentage identification for Navy beans-F, Kidney beans-F, and Black beans-F were 95.2, 98.3, and 98.9%, respectively. However, for the germinated samples were 99.8, 98.9. and 99.7%, respectively. Fig. 1c and d clearly shows that the most representative classes in un-sprouted Navy beans-F and Black beans-F was MH (53.5, and 43.5%, respectively), following by NTD for the former one (38.6%) and PP for the latter sample (33.5%). A different profile was recorded in Kidney beans-F, which emit much more PP VOCs (30.9%), followed by MH (29.2%) and OM (24.5%) (Fig.1c). One constituent belong to NSD class was identified only in the profile of unsprouted black beans flour (1,2-benzisothiazole).
The germination process was substantially accompanied by an increase of NTD constituents in all sprouted flour samples, which is the dominant chemical class emitted by G-Navy beans-F and G-Kidney beans-F (45.3, and 31.2%, respectively) (Fig.1c). The second most representative class in these samples was OM for the first et MH for the second version. However, G-Black beans-F showed a reverse behavior compared to other germinated legume flours. In fact, 40.2% of the total emitted VOCs belonged to MH, 23.4% to PP, and 18.8% to NTD VOCs.
Among the 2 NTD VOCs; 12 were identified in raw and 13 in sprouted flours (Table 1). NTD VOCs in flours from raw samples consisted of alkanes (5), aldehydes (3), alcohols (1), esters (1), and divers (2). However, the emission bouquet was changed when the germinated seeds were minced: alkanes (4), aldehydes (3), ketones (1), esters (1), and divers (4). The aldehydes VOCs in flours obtained from raw Navy beans-F, Kidney beans-F and Black beans-F constituted 3.4, 1.5, 0.2%, respectively (Fig.1d). Nevertheless, the emission of these VOCs was increased when the sprouted seeds were minced (20.8, 6.8, and 4.9% for G-Navy beans-F, G-Kidney beans-F and G-Black beans-F, respectively). Regarding the alkanes content, there were significant differences between raw and germinated dry legumes. These VOCs diminished in G-Navy beans-F and increased in other cultivars, when compared to their corresponding raw flours (Fig.1d). Alcohols and esters were totally absent in germinated samples.
In the aroma profiles of raw and germinated flours only one constituent was shared by all samples, namely limonene with its lemon like odor (MH) (Table 1). The identification percentages of this volatile were increased after the milling of raw seeds, reaching 53.5, 19.6, 29.5 % for Navy beans-F, Kidney beans-F, and Black beans-F, respectively. However, as a result of germination, the emission of limonene was decreased reaching 16.1, 15.9, and 19%, respectively in sprouted flours. Limonene was the most dominant constituent for all flours except for Kidney beans-F, which emit much more (E)-anethole (25.9%). The NTD VOCs nonanal and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, with their fruity odor, were detected in the bouquet profile of unsprouted seeds, but when these samples were crushed, these components disappeared. When the sprouted seeds were minced many constituents including benzaldehyde, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one, methyl 2-ethylhexanoate, 3.5-octadien-2-one, 1-undecene, 1,8-cineole, and carvacrol newly appeared compared to raw pulse flours. On the contrary, some others disappeared in germinated flours such as γ-nonalactone, p-anisaldehyde, phenylethyl alcohol, naphthalene, and carvone (Table 1).
3.3. Comparison of the volatile constituents among the raw and germinated legume seeds and flours and identification of the discriminating compounds
The PCA plot setup for raw and germinated dry bean seeds and flours is shown in Fig.3. The PC1 and PC2 axes explained 61.11% of the total variance (37.60 % and 23.51%, respectively) and were correlated to NTD and AC, respectively. By analyzing the scores-plot in the area defined by both axes, the samples were divided inti four groups. Group 1 is situated in the upper right of the scores-plot and correlated positively to PC1 and PC2 is constituted by Kidney beans-S and Black beans-S. Such a group is characterized by the highest content of PP. Group 2 is placed in the bottom right of the scores-plot, and correlates positively to PC1 and negatively to PC2; it is formed by Navy beans-S, G-Kidney beans-S, G-Kidney beans-S, and G-Navy beans-S. this group is distinguish especially by the emission of NTD volatiles. Group 3 is situated in the left bottom of the scores-plot and correlates negatively to both axes and it formed by Navy beans-F, G-Kidney beans-F, and G-Navy beans-F. These legume versions are characterized by the presence of MH and NSD in their volatile profiles. Group 4 is located in the upper left side of the scores plot and correlated negatively to PC1 and positively to PC2 and it is constituted by Black beans-F, Kidney beans-F, and G-Black beans-F. This group is characterized by the highest content of OM, AP, and PP.
3.4. Correlations among the chemical classes
Correlations among the different volatile chemical classes were analyzed to study the relations among them in raw and germinated dry bean seeds and flours. Table 2 shows the coefficients of the Pearson’s correlation among all samples (Table 2). Data demonstrated a significant positive correlation among MH and NSD, MH and OM, and OM and AC (r=0.794; 0.370; 0.392, respectively). A poor positive correlation was also detected among MH and PP, and MH and AP (r=0.111; and 0.155, respectively). A positive correlation means that when one variable moves higher or lower, the other variable moves in the same direction with the same magnitude. However, a negative correlation was observed among STH and OM, and NSD and PP (r= -0.104; and -0.170, respectively). A negative correlation indicates that both variables move in the opposite direction.
3.5. Hierarchical cluster analysis
All collected data were submitted to hierarchical cluster analysis to detect the effect of sprouting and crushing on the seeds of dry beans (Fig. 4). The resulting heatmap indicates that samples are distributed in three major clusters: C1 is formed by Navy beans-S, G-Navy beans-S, G-Black beans-S, and G-Kidney beans-S. Cluster 2 is composed by Black beans-S and Kidney beans-S. Finally, cluster 3 is constituted by Black beans-F, Kidney beans-F, Navy beans-F, G-Navy beans-F, G-Black beans-F, and G-Kidney beans-F. The heat map is a colored representation of the data. The red stands indicate the low values of the studied parameters, the black presented the intermediate values, and the green the high values.