Novel strategy to raise the content of aglycone isoflavones in soymilk and gel: Effect of germination on the physicochemical properties

Guannan Liu; Jie Zhou; Sijin Wu; Shijie Fang; Muhammad Bilal; Chong Xie; Pei Wang; Yongqi Yin; Runqiang Yang

doi:10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114335

Novel strategy to raise the content of aglycone isoflavones in soymilk and gel: Effect of germination on the physicochemical properties

Food Res Int. 2024 Jun:186:114335. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114335. Epub 2024 Apr 18.

Authors

Guannan Liu¹, Jie Zhou¹, Sijin Wu¹, Shijie Fang¹, Muhammad Bilal¹, Chong Xie², Pei Wang², Yongqi Yin³, Runqiang Yang⁴

Affiliations

¹ Whole Grain Food Engineering Research Center, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China.
² Whole Grain Food Engineering Research Center, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya, Hainan 572024, China.
³ School of Food Science and Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu 225127, China.
⁴ Whole Grain Food Engineering Research Center, College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210095, China; Sanya Institute of Nanjing Agricultural University, Sanya, Hainan 572024, China. Electronic address: yangrq@njau.edu.cn.

PMID: 38729717
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodres.2024.114335

Abstract

Germination holds the key to nutritional equilibrium in plant grains. In this study, the effect of soybean germination on the processing of soymilk (SM) and glucono-δ-lactone (GDL) induced soymilk gel (SG) was investigated. Germination promoted soybean sprout (SS) growth by activating the energy metabolism system. The energy metabolism was high during the three-day germination and was the most vigorous on the second day of germination. After germination, protein dissolution was improved in SM, and endogenous enzymes produced small molecule proteins. Small molecule proteins were more likely to aggregate to produce SM protein particles. Germination increased the water-holding capacity of SG induced by GDL but weakened the strength. Furthermore, the dynamic fluctuations in isoflavone content were closely monitored throughout the processing of soybean products, including SS, SM, and SG. Although the total amount of isoflavones in SM and SG processed from germinated soybeans decreased, a significant enrichment in the content of aglycone isoflavones was observed. The content of aglycone isoflavones in SG processed from germinated soybeans on the second day of germination was 736.17 ± 28.49 µg/g DW, which was 83.19 % higher than that of the control group. This study demonstrates that germination can enhance the nutritional value of soybean products, providing innovative opportunities for the development of health-promoting soybean-based products.

Keywords: Aglycone isoflavones; Gel; Germination; Soymilk.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Energy Metabolism
Food Handling / methods
Gels*
Germination*
Glycine max* / chemistry
Glycine max* / growth & development
Glycine max* / metabolism
Isoflavones* / analysis
Isoflavones* / metabolism
Lactones / analysis
Lactones / metabolism
Nutritive Value
Seeds / chemistry
Seeds / growth & development
Seeds / metabolism
Soy Milk* / chemistry
Soy Milk* / metabolism

Substances

Isoflavones
Gels
Lactones