Isolation, characterization, and industrial processing of soybean proteins

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max (L)) is a specie of legume rich in both high-quality protein and edible oil, that is widely cultivated around the world. Soy proteins are the primary supply of plant-based proteins due to their crop development, high content in the seed, nutritional quality, health-benefiting and versatility in developing food products.This chapter initially discusses the agronomic characteristics, geographic distribution, and economic importance of soybean cultivation and the main chemical components of the seed. Then it focuses on the processes for obtaining protein-enriched products: flours, concentrates and isolates from soybean oilseed cake as an economical and sustainable alternative within the framework of a circular economy; and on the analysis of the structural, functional, and nutritional characteristics of soybean proteins. And it ends by analyzing the main fields of application of soybean proteins as food ingredients, as bioplastics and as bioactive peptides source.