Influence of pH and Ionic Strength on Heat-Induced Formation and Rheological Properties of Soy Protein Gels in Relation to Denaturation and Their Protein Compositions

The influence of pH and ionic strength on gel formation and gel properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) in relation to denaturation and protein aggregation/precipitation was studied. Denaturation proved to be a prerequisite for gel formation under all conditions of pH and ionic strength studied. Gels exhibited a low stiffness at pH >6 and a high stiffness at pH <6. This might be caused by variations in the association/dissociation behavior of the soy proteins on heating as a function of pH, as indicated by the different protein compositions of the dissolved protein after heating. At pH 3-5 all protein seems to participate in the network, whereas at pH >5 less protein and especially fewer acidic polypeptides take part in the network, coinciding with less stiff gels. At pH 7.6, extensive rearrangements in the network structure took place during prolonged heating, whereas at pH 3.8 rearrangements did not occur.