Soybean oil bodies: A review on composition, properties, food applications, and future research aspects

Soybean has small and stable oil bodies that make up 18%–22% of its total mass. These oil bodies are organized droplets of triacylglycerol rich in minor bioactive constituents. They are surrounded by a monolayer of phospholipids in which seven oleosins, two caleosins and one steroleosin are embedded. After standard aqueous extraction, the soybean oil bodies (SOBs) acquire a second protein layer consisting mainly of lipoxygenase, glycinin, β-conglycinin and Bd 30K/P34. As part of the construction of many food products, SOBs have been extensively studied to understand their properties and interactions with other components to replace the traditional oil-in-water emulsions. Nevertheless, SOBs exhibit undesirable behavior under certain conditions that could be overcome by coating them with polysaccharides. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the structure and composition of soybean oil bodies and discusses the use of their properties in the main successful food applications.