Effect of Ultrasound Conditions on Germination and Drying Characteristics of Bengal Gram (Cicer arietinum L.) and Determination of Physicochemical and Functional Properties of Flours

This study aims to investigate the effect of ultrasound conditions on the germination kinetics and drying characteristics of a germinated Bengal gram at different drying temperatures. Ultrasound treatment was given to the Bengal gram seeds at two different conditions, that is, before (US) and after soaking (SU), which was then followed by germination. This study also determines mass transfer parameters at drying temperatures of 45°C, 55°C, and 65°C and assesses the influence on the physicofunctional characteristics of a germinated Bengal gram. The germination rate behavior was effectively predicted using a zero-order kinetic model with the highest R² value of 0.7974–0.8857 in each nontreated (S) and treated (SU, US) Bengal gram seed, respectively. This study showed that the ultrasound treatment effectively enhanced the germination rate in both conditions, and the highest germination rate was found in pretreated ultrasound Bengal gram samples. The logarithmic thin layer drying model, with the highest average R² of 0.9954 and the lowest average RMSE value of 0.0160, is the best-fitted model to predict the changes in moisture ratio in both treated and nontreated conditions. The moisture diffusivity values at drying temperatures ranging from 45°C to 65°C were found in treated (US, SU) and nontreated (S) germinated samples ranging from 3.34 × 10⁻⁸ to 4.03 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s, 1.30 × 10⁻⁸ to 2.01 × 10⁻⁸ m²/s, and 6.6 × 10⁻⁹ to 8.06 × 10⁻⁹ m²/s, respectively. The protein content increased in the ultrasound-treated sample between 12.37% and 13.50%. The solubility ranged from 8% to 10.36% throughout the treated and nontreated germinated Bengal gram flour. This study provides a unified approach to utilizing ultrasound-treated germinated Bengal gram seeds as an alternative option to develop a functional product with better nutritional and functional properties.