Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of abiotic stress conditions on the synthesis of compounds with antioxidant properties in germinating seeds. The seeds of edible lentils (Lens culinaris L.), alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and mung beans (Vigna radiata L.) were germinated for 120 hours. We studied the influence of abiotic stress on the amount of dry matter, vitamin C and phenolic compounds, as well as flavonoids, in germinated seeds. The use of higher than optimal germination temperatures led to a higher accumulation of dry matter in the mung bean, while the accumulation of phenolic compounds and flavonoids was higher in the alfalfa sprouted seeds. Oxidative stress substantially increased the content of dry matter in the seeds of mung bean, and more vitamin C was found in the lentils. The conditions of abiotic stress in lentil seeds during their sprouting reduced the amount of phenolic compounds in comparison to that in the control variant of the seeds. However, these same conditions (with the exception of oxidative stress) benefitted the accumulation of phenolic compounds in alfalfa seeds.