Comparative Analysis of Protease-Assisted Extraction and Three-Phase Partitioning for Protein Recovery from Thai Black Soybean Okara
Keywords:
Black soybean, okara, soy protein, Sukhothai 3, Three phase partitioningAbstract
Okara, a by-product of soy-based food production, has gained increasing interest, particularly that derived from black soybean, due to its higher protein and nutrient contents than yellow soybean. However, its utilization remains challenging due to its high perishability. Limited studies have addressed okara bioactive composition, bioactivity, and the environmental impacts of different extraction methods. This study aimed to compare environmentally friendly extraction methods and evaluate their efficiency and functional properties for recovering bioactive proteins from Sukhothai 3 black soybean okara, using protease-assisted extraction (Protease-P6SD & Protease-A2SD) and three-phase partitioning (TPP). Extraction yield, amino acid composition, and antioxidant activity were evaluated. TPP showed a significantly higher extraction yield (26.61 ± 2.24%) than protease-assisted extraction (16.49 ± 0.95% and 15.36 ± 1.63% for Protease-P6SD and Protease-A2SD, respectively) (p<0.05). In contrast, the amino acid composition analysis showed that extracts obtained by protease-assisted extraction contained a broader range of essential amino acids than those obtained by the TPP method. This may be attributed to the higher specificity of proteolytic enzymes toward target proteins compared with chemical extraction methods. Antioxidant assays (DPPH and ABTS) revealed significantly lower IC50 values, approximately two-fold lower, in protease-derived extracts compared to TPP (p<0.05), indicating stronger antioxidant activity. These findings demonstrate that a higher extraction yield does not necessarily correspond to superior protein quality. While TPP provides a higher extraction yield, protease-assisted extraction enhances the amino acid profile and bioactivity. Therefore, enzymatic extraction represents a promising green approach for enhancing the utilization of black soybean okara. This study highlights the potential of Sukhothai 3 black soybean okara as a valuable biofunctional ingredient for functional food applications.
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