Soy protein particles with enhanced anti-aggregation behaviors under various heating temperatures, pH, and ionic strengths

• Published in: Food research international 2023-08, Vol.170, p.112924-112924, Article 112924
• Main Authors: Zheng, Xiaohan, Ren, Chao, Wei, Yixue, Wang, Jiamei, Xu, Xianbing, Du, Ming, Wu, Chao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-aggregation behavior; Conformational feature, different conditions; Heat stability; Heating; Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; Osmolar Concentration; Soy proteins; Soybean Proteins; Temperature
• ISSN: 0963-9969; 1873-7145
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.112924

[Display omitted] •Heat-stable SPPs exhibited great anti-aggregation behavior at various conditions.•Heat-stable SPPs showed a compacter structure than untreated soy proteins.•Anti-aggregation was related to the surface charge and adhesive forces of proteins. Protein-containing food products are frequently heated during processing to passivate anti-nutritional components. However, heating also contributes to protein aggregation and gelation, which limits its application in protein-based aqueous systems. In this study, heat-stable soy protein particles (SPPs) were fabricated by preheating at 120 °C for 30 min and at 0.5% (w/v) protein concentration. Compared to untreated soy proteins (SPs), SPPs exhibited a higher denaturation ratio, stronger conformational rigidity, compacter colloidal structure, and higher surface charge. The aggregation state of SPs and SPPs at various heating conditions (temperatures, pH, ionic strength, and types) was analyzed by dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and cryo-scanning electron microscopy. SPPs showed less increase in particle size and greater anti-aggregation ability than SPs. When heated in the presence of salt ions (Na+, Ca2+) or at acidic conditions, both SPs and SPPs formed larger spherical particles, but the size increase rate of SPPs was significantly lower than SPs. These findings provide theoretical information for preparing heat-stable SPPs. Furthermore, the development of SPPs is conducive to designing protein-enriched ingredients for producing innovative foods.