Improvement of Functional and Technological Properties of Chickpea Aquafaba Through Lactic Fermentation

Bioconversion processes represent sustainable, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective tools to improve the nutritional quality, bioactivity, and technological properties of agri-food waste. The chickpea cooking wastewater aquafaba, commonly used as an egg-replacer ingredient in various food formulations, was investigated as a suitable substrate for Lacticaseibacillus paracasei NPB-01's growth, which reached a final bacterial load of 9 Log and lactic acid production of 2.16 g/L after 24 h of process. Despite total saponins and polyphenols showing nonsignificant differences before and after fermentation, a significant improvement in the antioxidant power of fermented aquafaba was found. The microbial proteolysis and the simultaneous approach of pH to the chickpea proteins' isoelectric value (approximately 4.5) conferred high surface hydrophobicity and flexibility to the protein units, emphasizing the technological characteristics of aquafaba. In particular, a tenfold-enhanced emulsifying capacity and a significant improvement in foam and emulsion stability (98% and 100%, respectively) were observed, confirming the potential of fermented aquafaba as an enhanced texture-modifying ingredient with probiotic and antioxidant properties.