Advances in Processing Strategies to Enhance Bioactive Potential and Reduce Antinutritional Factors in Edible Legumes and Pulses

Legumes and pulses are central to global diets as affordable, nutrient-dense, and sustainable sources of protein, fiber, and micronutrients. Beyond their nutritional value, they contain various bioactive compounds. However, their nutritional potential is constrained by antinutritional factors that limit mineral bioavailability, protein digestibility, and gastrointestinal tolerance. This review synthesizes evidence on how conventional (soaking, germination, fermentation) and emerging (extrusion, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound) processing methods can enhance or release bioactive compounds such as phenolic acids, flavonoids, and γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), while reducing antinutrients such raffinose-family oligosaccharides (RFOs) and phytates within others. Capitalizing on these strategies offers opportunities to develop innovative, health-promoting, and sustainable foods that align with growing consumer demand for plant-based diets, good for health and the environment.