# Perspectives on the Use of Germinated Legumes in the Bread Making Process, A Review
## 1 Introduction  
Seed germination is defined as the process of developing a new plant. From a mechanical point of view, the germination process can be described as an interaction between the protective coating of the seeds and the force of pushing on it by the developing seed embryo [1; 2]. Germination includes three stages. The first one consists of the absorption of water by the dried seeds and the onset of the mRNA biosynthesis of the seed. The second stage is characterized by the coleoptile elongation of the seed. This is the most important phase because here all the metabolic and physiological processes of the seed are reactivated. The success of this stage is influenced by the external germination conditions, but also by the seed phytohormones. The third stage consists of the continuous absorption of water and the emergence of the radicle due to the development of the seed embryo axis [3].  
Lately, interest in the consumption of germinated cereals has grown a lot due to several reasons. Mainly, it is related to the improving of the human health, correlated to the fact that the germination process is a relatively simple one because it does not require special working techniques. The germination process presents a number of advantages related to the fact that it improves the nutritional composition of the seeds and its content in bioactive substances. Different studies have shown that the germination process, if performed correctly, may increase the nutrients' availability (amino acids, minerals, vitamins, etc.) [4; 5; 6; 7] and at the same time decrease the antinutrient compounds from the seeds [8; 9; 10; 11]. The international literature has highlighted that the germination process increases the amount of phenolic compounds which are chemical compounds that have antioxidant action. At the same time, the germination process activates the hydrolytic enzymes from seeds, which favors the digestion process of some compounds such as starch and proteins [12]. Some researchers have highlighted that germination leads to the activation of endo-enzymes in seeds, such as proteases andamylases, which help break down macromolecular substances such as proteins and carbohydrates and facilitate the digestibility of nutritional compounds from seeds. At the same time, the germination process contributes to the decrease in the antinutritional factors content and to the activation of some enzymes which exist in the seeds. Thus, germination is a process that allows improving the nutritional composition of seeds [4]. Some studies emphasize that the germination process increases the content of flavonoids [13; 14; 15; 16; 17]. Studies in the field also indicates that the germination process leads to the decrease in some antinutritional factors, which favors a higher bioavailability of the nutritional compounds from the seeds subjected to the germination process [18; 19; 20].  
Due to the health benefits of germinated seeds, different studies have reported on the incorporation of germination seeds into various food manufacturing recipes, such as: biscuits [21; 22], beverages [23], baby pures [24], muffins [25; 26], and yogurt [27; 28]. Given the fact that bread is one of the main foods from the daily diet of the population, attempts have been made to improve its quality with flour obtained from germinated legumes. The addition of the germinated legumes in bread recipe led to changes in the dough rheological properties, but also on the physico-chemical and sensory properties of the bread samples obtained. The purpose of this review was to highlight the current state of studies in the field related to the possibility of using germinated seeds in the bread making recipe, underlining the changes brought by germinated seed addition on the technological process and the bread quality characteristics.