Relationships between protein composition and texture of tofu made from soybeans grown in three locations

Authors: CHEN, RUIQU - Mississippi State University; CHANG, SAM - Mississippi State University; Gillen, Anne; CHEN, PENGYIN - University Of Missouri; ZHANG, BO - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: Journal of Food Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/19/2023
Publication Date: 1/24/2024
Citation: Chen, R., Chang, S.K., Gillen, A.M., Chen, P., Zhang, B. 2024. Relationships between protein and other chemical composition and texture of tofu made from soybeans grown in different locations. Journal of Food Science, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.16922 .
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1750-3841.16922

Interpretive Summary: Understanding the relationship between soy protein components in diverse soybean genotypes (lines) grown in different locations and the firmness of tofu can provide insight for selecting soybean suitable for tofu making. Locations where the soybeans were grown showed significant effects on seed composition parameters including total protein, protein components, and calcium, but not magnesium or phytic acid. For each of the three locations in the study filled tofu firmness increased with increasing levels of A3 soy seed protein subunit. However, at only two of the three locations in the study, pressed tofu firmness increased with increasing levels of A3 soy seed protein subunit content. Average calcium content increased as average pressed and filled tofu firmness increased when we looked at the average values over all locations, but at none of the individual locations was calcium amount related to firmness level. In addition, pressed tofu firmness decreased as tofu yield increased. The findings that A3 peptide’s strong relationship with tofu firmness within a location may be used by the food industry to select proper soybean for manufacturing tofu and to facilitate tofu soybean breeding for tofu making.

Technical Abstract: Understanding the relationship between soy protein components in diverse soybean genotypes (lines) grown in different locations and the firmness of tofu can provide insight for selecting soybean suitable for tofu making. Locations showed significant effects on seed composition parameters including total protein, protein components, and calcium, but not magnesium or phytic acid. Results showed 11S content, but not 11S/7S ratio, was only correlated with filled tofu firmness when analyzed over all locations. A strong and positive correlation between firmness and A3 subunit content was found for both pressed tofu and filled tofu over three locations (pooled data) and within most of the individual locations. The correlation of filled tofu firmness and A3 subunit was significant for each of the three individual locations. However, the correlation of pressed tofu firmness and A3 subunit content was significant at two of three locations. Mean calcium content was positively correlated with mean pressed and filled tofu firmness over all locations, but calcium was not correlated with firmness at any individual location. In addition, pressed tofu firmness was found to be negatively correlated with tofu yield. The findings that A3 peptide’s strong relationship with tofu firmness within certain locations may be used by the food industry to select proper soybean for manufacturing tofu and to facilitate tofu soybean breeding for tofu making.