Reduced Adhesive Force Leading to Enhanced Thermal Stability of Soy Protein Particles by Combined Preheating and Ultrasonic Treatment

Developing liquid systems with high protein contents is drawing intensive attention; however, this is challenged by heat-induced aggregation and gelation of proteins. Herein, we described a facile but robust approach of combined preheating and ultrasonic treatment (CPUT) to fabricate soy protein particles (SPPs) with enhanced heat stability. Results showed that these heat-stable particles, upon reheating at 1% (w/v), showed antiaggregation property evidenced from no obvious changes of the particle size distributions of suspensions. Besides, no gelation was found in the reheated test for SPPs suspended even at a concentration of 10% (w/v). In contrast, the control formed sol–gel after heating. The rearrangements of soy protein molecules by CPUT led to the formation of SPPs with reduced surface energy, which was primarily responsible for their heat stability. These findings highlighted that the CPUT could prepare thermally stable soy proteins, providing insights into the application of soy proteins in protein-enriched beverages.