Enhancing Gluten-Free Cake Quality With Germinated and Ungerminated Mung Bean Flours: A Comparative Analysis

Gluten-free (GF) baked products are often constrained by limited nutritional quality and a lack of bioactive compounds. This study investigates the incorporation of germinated mung bean flours (GMBF) and ungerminated mung bean flours (UMBF) into GF cake formulations as partial (50%) or complete (100%) substitutes for rice flour. Comprehensive analyses were conducted on both cakes and raw flours, including proximate composition, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH assay), and detailed phenolic and amino acid profiling using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). Germination markedly enhanced the bioactive and nutritional properties of mung bean flour, particularly through increased levels of essential amino acids and improved antioxidant capacity. These results highlight the potential of sprouted mung bean flour as a value-added functional ingredient for nutritionally enriching GF baked goods, supporting the development of clean-label, plant-based innovations in the bakery industry.