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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BHNRC) » Beltsville Human Nutrition Research Center » Food Composition and Methods Development Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #356938
Title: Compositional Analysis of Non-Polar and Polar Metabolites in 14 Soybeans Using Spectroscopy and Chromatography Tools

Author
item Luthria, Devanand - Dave
item KOTHA, RAGHAVENDHAR - University Of Maryland
item Natarajan, Savithiry - Savi
item WANG, DECHUN - Michigan State University

Submitted to: Foods
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/27/2019
Publication Date: 11/7/2019
Citation: Luthria, D.L., Kotha, R.R., Natarajan, S.S., Wang, D. 2019. Compositional analysis of non-polar and polar metabolites in 14 soybeans using spectroscopy and chromatography tools. Foods. 8: 557-569. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8110557.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods8110557

Interpretive Summary: Soybean is one of the major food consumed across the globe. Soybean is an excellent source of protein, oil, and carbohydrates. It provides the world's largest source of animal protein feed and the second largest source of vegetable oil. United States is the leading soybean producer and exporter. In order to develop improved quality soybeans, it is important to investigate their compositon profiles. In the present study, we determined the oil content, fatty acid methyl ester profiles of the transesterified oil, total soluble sugar content and the sugar profiles in 14 soybeans samples belonging to wild (Glycine soja) and cultivated (Glycine max) soybeans. These samples represented a wide range of genetic diversity. All samples were analyzed by multiple separation and detection methods. Multivariate analysis of the spectral fingerprints and chromatographic data showed distinct differences between wild and cultivated soybeans. These differences were attributed to the total oil and soluble sugar content as well as the FAMEs and sugar profiles. This information will be useful for researchers in the biotech and soybean breeders to develop new value-added soybeans with better soluble sugar and oil profiles.

Technical Abstract: In the present study, we investigated oil content, fatty acid methyl ester profiles of the transesterified oil and soluble sugar content and profiles in wild (Glycine soja) and cultivated (Glycine max) soybeans. Multivariate analysis of the NIR, HPTLC, sugar and oil profiles data, showed distinct differences between the wild and cultivated soybeans. These differences were attributed to wide variations in the total oil content which was determined as ~9% in wild soybean as compared to 16-22% in cultivated soybeans. Higher levels of linolenic acid (~17%) and the not easily digestible sugar stachyose (~53%) were determined in wild type whereas higher levels of oleic acid (~19%) and sucrose (~59%) were detected in cultivated soybeans. Interestingly, one cultivated soybean (sample 8) had a desirable sugar profile with a high amount of sucrose (86%) and low abundance of stachyose (9%). This information will be useful to develop new improved soybeans varieties.