Bowman-Birk and Kunitz protease inhibitors among antinutrients and bioactives modified by germination and hydrolysis in Brazilian soybean cultivar BRS 133.

Soybean contains constituents that have antinutritional and bioactive properties. Enzymatic hydrolysis and germination can enhance the biological activity of these compounds in soybean. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of germination, Alcalase (protease) hydrolysis, and their combination on the concentrations of antinutritional and bioactive compounds in Brazilian soybean cultivar BRS 133. A combination of germination and Alcalase hydrolysis resulted in the degradation of Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI), Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI), and lunasin by 96.9, 97.8, and 38.4%. Lectin was not affected by any of the processing treatments when compared to nongerminated and nonhydrolyzed soy protein extract. Total isoflavones (ISF) and total saponins (SAP) increased by 16.2 and 28.7%, respectively, after 18 h of germination, while Alcalase hydrolysis led to the reduction of these compounds. A significant correlation was found between concentrations of BBI and KTI, BBI and lunasin, BBI and ISF, KTI and lunasin, KTI and ISF, KTI and SAP, lunasin and ISF, and ISF and SAP. Germination and Alcalase hydrolysis interacted in reducing BBI, ISF, and SAP. This study presents a process of preparing soy flour ingredients with lower concentrations of antinutritional factors and with biologically active constituents, important for the promotion of health associated with soybean consumption. In conclusion, 18 h of germination and 3 h of Alcalase hydrolysis is recommended for elimination of protease inhibitors, while bioactives are maintained by at least 50% of their original concentrations.

[Biological evaluation of soybean line with low trypsin inhibitor activities]. / Avaliação biológica de soja com baixas atividades de inibidores de tripsina e ausência do inibidor Kunitz.

The soybean cultivar BR 36 with conventional levels of trypsin inhibitors activity and the soybean line BRM95-5262, which was genetically selected to contain low activity of trypsin inhibitors were used for biological assays with rats. BR 36 and BRM95-5262 contained 40 and 20, and 30 and 20% of relative residual activity of trypsin inhibitors, respectively. The mean values of PER and NPR showed that treatments with crude soybeans were minor than treatments with soybean thermically processed. However, the treatments of thermically processed soybean did not showed significative differences (p > or = 0.05). When the trypsin inhibitors activity were 8.61 and 8.44 UIT/mg of samples or 20 and 30% of relative residual activity of cultivar BR 36 and line BRM95-5262, respectively, it was observed that mean values of PER and NPR were not significatives. The mean values of CDA and CDV of treatments with crude soybeans were minor than treatment with casein and similar to the treatments with soybean thermically processed. So, it can be concluded that the biological evaluation obtained with soybean protein were dependent of initial trypsin inhibitors activities and of its respective thermical treatment. There was advantage in the use of BRM95-5262 soybean line with low trypsin inhibitors activity.

Secondary structure of soybean trypsin inhibitor (Kunitz): a study by infrared spectroscopy.

The infrared spectrum (amide I' region) of Kunitz soybean trypsin inhibitor (SBTI) was obtained in D2O solution and resolved into Gaussian components. A prominent broad band centered at 1643 cm-1 is shown on the unresolved spectrum, which is usually assigned to N-deuterated peptide groups in an unordered structure, since SBTI is known to be devoid of alpha-helix by CD and X-ray crystallographic studies. In addition, shoulders are evident at 1632 cm-1 and 1676 cm-1, which correspond probably to the v(pi, O) and v(O, pi) components assigned to an antiparallel-chain beta-pleated sheet structure. Parameters (maximum absorptivity, wavenumber at the maximum of the band, and half-width of the band at half-height) for the four Gaussian component bands (in which the amide I' band was resolved) are given. A crude estimation of 4% is obtained for antiparallel beta-sheet in SBTI, i.e., this protein would be practically devoid of such a beta-structure. Notwithstanding the fact that this result is apparently in agreement with the far-UV CD spectrum (data reported in the literature), the predominant conformation class found in SBTI has been demonstrated to be approximate beta-sheet structures, with a small amount of regular sheet (Sweet et al., (1974) Biochemistry 13: 4212-4228).