Functional potential of crackers formulated with an innovative fermented cooked chickpea flour

Incorporating legume ingredients into staple foods offers a sustainable strategy to promote legume intake while improving the nutritional quality. Fermentation can further enhance the nutritional and functional properties of chickpea flour. This study evaluated the use of cooked chickpea flour (CF) and Lentilactobacillus diolivorans 13-4A-fermented cooked chickpea flour (FF) as functional ingredients in crackers, replacing refined wheat flour at 10% or 25% levels. Four enriched formulations (C10CF, C25CF, C10FF, C25FF) were compared to a conventional wheat cracker (CW). All products underwent in vitro digestion to obtain bioaccessible fractions (BFs) and digestion residues (RFs). BFs were analyzed for polyphenol bioaccessibility and bioavailability (using a Caco-2 cell model), total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and inhibitory activity against α-amylase, α-glucosidase, and dipeptidyl peptidase-IV (DPP-IV), while RFs were assessed for residual TAC. Fermentation tripled CF polyphenol content, with FF-enriched crackers, particularly C25FF, showing the highest polyphenol levels. Pyrogallol was detected only in FF and related crackers. FF exhibited the highest pre-digestion TAC, while post-digestion, C25FF and C10CF had the highest bioaccessible and residue TAC, respectively. CF or FF enrichment (10%) most effectively inhibited α-amylase (∼50%), whereas FF and C25FF showed the strongest α-glucosidase inhibition (∼8%). CF demonstrated the strongest DPP-IV inhibition. All BFs were non-cytotoxic; FF-derived BF enhanced the transcellular permeability and polyphenol transport in Caco-2 cells. Pyrogallol and sinapic/protocatechuic acids glucosides were the most bioavailable (40-100%). Overall, Lent. diolivorans 13-4A-fermented chickpea flour demonstrates strong potential to improve the nutritional and functional properties of crackers, contributing to the development of healthier cereal-based snacks.