Phytochemical and Structural Changes of Chickpea Beverage Prepared Using Ultrasound-Assisted Fermentation with Optimized Ultrasound Parameters Modelled by Response Surface Methodology

To improve the quality of fermented chickpea beverages, a highly nutritious substitute for dairy, the Box-Behnken design and the response surface methodology were used to obtain optimized ultrasonic parameters for producing ultrasound-assisted fermented chickpea beverages. The determining parameters were the lactic acid, reducing sugar content, and the cell viability of the treated product. The most significant parameters obtained were frequency and treatment duration, while power density was relatively insignificant. The optimum fermentation parameters obtained were a treatment start time of 3 h, treatment duration of 80 min, frequency of 27.5 kHz, and power density of 100 W/L with optimum yields of 0.23096 mg/mL, 2.92898 mg/mL, and 0.488189 for reducing sugar, lactic acid, and cell viability index, respectively, with desirability above 0.95. Further analysis of the ultrasound treatment's effect on the product's structure showed the ultrasound-assisted fermented chickpea beverage was more structurally stable and homogenous, with even distribution of macromolecules present.