The aggregation behavior between soybean whey protein and polysaccharides of diverse structures and their implications in soybean isoflavone delivery

The use of polysaccharides to recover soybean whey protein (SWP) from whey wastewater is recognized as an effective approach. However, the recovery rate can vary due to differences in the structure and compound ratios of the polysaccharides involved. The interaction between SWP and polysaccharides (sodium alginate, SA; chitosan, CHI; carrageenan, CAR) at different ratio was investigated. We harnessed these complexes to fabricate emulsions aimed at delivering soybean isoflavones. The results showed that the addition of polysaccharides unfolded the structure of SWP. The intermolecular hydrogen bonds within SWP-SA were stronger than those of the other complexes. These structural changes showed consistency across different ratios. The mean particle size of the complexes increased. SWP-SA exhibited the lowest interfacial tension. The emulsion with SWP-SA at 300 W demonstrated superior stability, and the bioavailability of soybean isoflavones increased by 3–6 %. These results shed light on the promising potential of polysaccharide-based strategies for SWP recovery and the effective delivery of soybean isoflavones.