Abstract: With the changes in dietary habits and lifestyles, the global prevalence of diabetes continues to rise, and the concept of blood glucose control as part of a healthy lifestyle has increasingly attracted public attention. Legumes, rich in resistant starch, dietary fiber, and various bioactive components, can effectively reduce postprandial blood glucose peaks and thus have broad application prospects in the development of functional foods. Research indicates that pretreatment methods significantly affect the structure and function of various components in legumes, often leading to changes in starch composition and structure as well as the content and activity of bioactive substance, thereby influencing blood glucose stability. This article systematically reviews the effects and mechanisms of physical, chemical, and biological pretreatment methods on the glycemic index (GI) of legumes, aiming to provide a theoretical reference for the development of legume-based functional products.

Key words: legumes; pretreatment; glycemic index; functional foods; mechanistic analysis