## 2 Materials and Methods  
### Lentil and Lactic Acid Bacteria Strains Used for Fermentation  
The grains of lentil variety 'Danaja' (_Lens culinaris_ Medik.) were provided by the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry (LAMMC, Akademija, Kedainiai distr., Lithuania). Field trials were conducted during the 2022 vegetation period at the experimental base of the LAMMC (\(55^{\circ}39^{\prime}\) N \(23^{\circ}57^{\prime}\) E). The field experiment was designed in four replications (plot size 3 \(\times\) 20 m), which were randomly arranged. The trial was conducted under organic growing conditions. The soil of the experimental site was a loamy _Endocalcaric Epigleyic Cambisol_ (Drainic, Loamic) CM-can.glp-dr.lo. The characteristics of the soil arable layer (0-25 cm) were as follows: pH 7.2, humus content 2.7%, total nitrogen 117 mg/kg, available phosphorus (P\({}_{2}\)O\({}_{5}\)) 51 mg/kg, and available potassium (K\({}_{2}\)O) 68 mg/kg. Lentil was grown either in pure stands (L) or was relay intercropped with winter rye (LR), which involves growing a second crop after harvesting the first (see supplementary file: Figure S1). Both crops were planted in May in the same plot. The lentils were harvested in September. Winter rye was the cover crop between the lentil rows in the sowing year and was left over the winter period as a cereal for grain harvest. The lentils (moisture content 14%) were milled with a Laboratory Mill 120 (Perten Instruments AB, Stockholm, Sweden) until the particle size was 1-2 mm and were then mixed with water: for submerged (SM) conditions, the lentil/water ratio was 1:5 (weight/weight, \(w\)/\(w\)), and, for solid-state (SS) conditions, the lentil/water ratio was 1:1 (\(w\)/\(w\)). In total, the following twelve sample groups were obtained: four control groups--LR and L control groups for SM and SS conditions (C\({}_{\rm LR}\)SM, C\({}_{\rm LR}\)SS, C\({}_{\rm L}\)SM, and C\({}_{\rm LS}\)SS); four groups fermented for 24 h under SM and SS conditions (SMF\({}_{\rm LR}\)24, SSF\({}_{\rm LR}\)24, SMF\({}_{\rm L}\)24, and SSF\({}_{\rm L}\)24); and four groups fermented for 48 h under SM and SS conditions (SMF\({}_{\rm LR}\)48, SSF\({}_{\rm LR}\)48, SMF\({}_{\rm L}\)48, and SSF\({}_{\rm L}\)48). The principal scheme of the experiment is given in Figure 1.  
The _Pediococcus acidilactici_ strain, previously isolated from spontaneous fermented cereal, was used for lentil fermentation [34]. Previous studies disclosed that the _Pediococcus acidilactici_ strain is able to ferment various carbohydrate- and protein-rich matrices and multiply rapidly, reaching 3.20 \(\pm\) 0.1 log\({}_{10}\) CFU/mL within 2 h [34; 35]. Before the experiments, the _Pediococcus acidilactici_ strain was stored at \(-\)80 \({}^{\circ}\)C (Microbank system, Pro-Lab Diagnostics, Birkenhead, UK) and multiplied in de Man-Rogosa-Sharpe (MRS) broth (Oxoid Ltd., Hampshire, UK) at 30 \(\pm\) 2 \({}^{\circ}\)C for 24 h, before using it for lentil fermentation. Milled lentil, water, and a suspension of _Pediococcus acidilactici_ strain [3% of dry matter (d.m.) of the lentil mass, containing 8.7 log10 CFU/mL] was fermented at 30 \(\pm\) 2 \({}^{\circ}\)C for 24 and 48 h in a chamber incubator (Memmert GmbH + Co. KG, Schwabach, Germany). For 100 g of lentils, 500 mL and 100 mL of water was added for submerged fermentation and solid-state fermentation, respectively. Non-fermented samples (mixed with water) were analysed as a control. Evaluation of Acidity and the Microbiological and Chromaticity Characteristics of Lentil Wholemal Samples  
The pH of the lentil samples was measured using a pH electrode (PP-15; [PERSON], Goettingen, Germany). The LAB viable counts were determined according to the method described by [PERSON] et al. [36]. The chromaticity characteristics of lentil samples were evaluated on the samples' surfaces using a CIE L*a*b* system (CromaMeter CR-400, Konica Minolta, Tokyo, Japan). The results were expressed as the CIE colour values L* (brightness/darkness), a* (redness/greenness), and b* (yellowness/blueness).