Soy protein isolate (SPI) and insoluble soy flour polymeric carbohydrates have been reacted with sodium periodate for the specific oxidation of vicinal -OH groups to investigate the reactions involved in this approach to soy flour adhesives. The reactions have been shown to generate carbohydrate oligomer fractions presenting one, two or multiple aldehyde groups. With the exception of the small molecular weight heptanedial, the smaller molecular weight aldehydes generated from mono- and disaccharides by the same reaction do not appear to form from the insoluble soy flour carbohydrates, or have already reacted. The reaction of periodate with soy protein isolate has been shown to generate some aldehydes too. When the mix of SPI and soy insoluble carbohydrates is treated with periodate, the majority of the observed aldehyde carrying species appear to be higher molecular weight carbohydrate oligomer fractions.
Keywords: aldehydes generation; condensation reactions; insoluble carbohydrates; periodate oxidation; soy adhesives; soy flour; soy protein isolate.