Influence of inulin/oligofructose on the acid‐induced cold aggregation and gelation of preheated soy proteins

BACKGROUND: In recent years inulin‐type prebiotics have attracted much attention due to consumers' awareness of the health benefits of functional foods. Currently no information is available about the possible texture‐modifying effect of these non‐ionizable polar carbohydrates in different soy‐based food systems. In this study, the effect of inulin/oligofructose on the cold aggregation and gelation of preheated soy protein isolate (SPI) and its fractions (7S, 11S, and their mixture), induced by glucono‐δ‐lactone (GDL), were evaluated by turbidity (A₆₀₀) and dynamic rheological measurements. RESULTS: Oligofructose significantly delayed the aggregation of all protein samples and decreased the end‐point optical density of 11S fraction and SPI. Inulin, a long‐chain fructan, only delayed the aggregation of 7S globulin and reduced the capacity of aggregation (A₆₀₀) of SPI. While oligofructose showed no significant effect, the addition of 5% (w/v) inulin enhanced the gelation of SPI and the 7S/11S mixture, which was demonstrated by the increase in gel storage modulus up to 13.6% and 10.1% (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSION: Inulin was found to enhance the viscoelastic properties of GDL‐induced cold‐set soy protein gels. It is expected that ‘functional’ cold‐set gel products with improved texture can be prepared from preheated soy proteins and inulin. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry