Germination-driven biochemical remodeling of cereals and pseudocereals: Impacts on nutrient bioaccessibility, phytochemical enrichment, and functional food potential.

Global staples include cereal grains (maize, rice, wheat, barley, and sorghum), whose nutritional value is partly limited by antinutritional factors (phytic acid, oxalates, and protease inhibitors) that limit the absorption of minerals and nutrient bioavailability. Germination is an environmentally friendly and effective bioprocess that enhances the nutritional and functional characteristics of cereals by enzymatic, biochemical, and structural changes. It decreases antinutrients and increases bioactive compounds, such as γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), phenolics, flavonoids, vitamins, and bioactive peptides, and improves digestibility, nutrient bioaccessibility, and bioavailability. Germinated cereals have significant potential as functional foods with antidiabetic, antihypertensive, antioxidant, and anticancer potential associated with enriched phytochemicals. This review summarizes germination-induced compositional changes, functional properties, health-related effects, consumer acceptance, and safety considerations, highlighting germination as a promising strategy for producing nutrient-dense and functionally enhanced cereal foods that meet health, sustainability, and food security requirements.