Legumes are sustainable protein-rich crops with numerous industrial food applications, which give them the potential of a functional food ingredient. Legume proteins have appreciable techno-functional properties (e.g., emulsification, foaming, water absorption), which could be affected along with its digestibility during processing. Extraction and isolation of legumes’ protein content makes their use more efficient; however, exposure to the conditions of further use (such as temperature and pressure) results in, and significantly increases, changes in the structural, and therefore functional and nutritional, properties. The present review focuses on the quality of legume protein concentrates and their changes under the influence of different physical processing treatments and highlights the effect of processing techniques on the structural, functional, and some of the nutritional, properties of legume proteins.

Cereal products are regarded as important protein providers, though they could feature poor nutritional quality due to their occasional imbalanced amino acid content. Cereal proteins are low in cysteine or tryptophan, and rich in methionine; however, while their combination with legume proteins makes them nutritionally more comprehensive, such a possibility must be addressed by the cereal processing industry. However, the incorporation of legume protein concentrates and isolates might also influence the functionality and bioavailability of some cereal constituents. Therefore, the objective of the present review is to gain insights into the effects of cereal products incorporated with legume protein isolates/concentrates, knowing that both the cereals and the protein extracts/isolates are complex structural matrices, and besides the final products acceptability they should efficiently promote the health condition of consumers. The combination of legume proteins with cereals will bring about a structural complexity that must harmoniously include proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, polyphenols and dietary fibers to promote the bioaccessibility, bioavailability and bioactivity without cyto- and genotoxicity.