The objectives of the present study were to determine how extrusion (barrel temperature of 100 °C) and high-pressure processing (HPP, 200 and 500 MPa, 15 min, 25 °C) of full-fat soybean flakes (FFSF) modified the structure of soybean cotyledon cells, the protein interactions and the in vitro protease accessibility. Cellular disruption of the cotyledon cells was only observed for extruded FFSF. Extrusion and HPP at 500 MPa favored formation of insoluble protein aggregates, in which oil was entrapped. High pressure size exclusion chromatography (HPSEC) and extraction methods using buffers containing SDS and 2-mercaptoethanol suggested that noncovalent interactions were the main forces in protein aggregate formation during HPP 500 MPa and extrusion. Intermolecular cross-linking by disulfide bonding was also involved in insoluble aggregates, but at a lesser extent than noncovalent interactions. Extrusion and HPP 500-MPa treatment enhanced the proteolytic attack, while treatment at 200 MPa had no impact. Drastic changes in the peptide profile of the extracted proteins were, however, only observed for the enzyme-treated 500-MPa FFSF. Optimal oil and protein extraction yields required cellular disruption of cotyledon cells and hydrolysis of protein aggregates, which were obtained with enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction of extruded FFSF.

Oil, protein and solid extraction yields obtained during aqueous extraction processing (AEP) of full fat soybean flakes (FFSF), FFSF extruded at a die temperature of 100 °C and FFSF pressurised at 200 and 500 MPa for 15 min at 25 °C, were compared to those obtained during enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction processing (EAEP) using 0.5% of protease Protex 7L. Without enzyme addition, pretreatment of the FFSF with extrusion and 500 MPa increased and decreased, respectively, the oil extraction yield while protein extraction yield was significantly decreased after both treatments. The best treatment in terms of oil and protein recovery was EAEP of extruded flakes with 90% and 82% of oil and protein extraction yield, respectively, and 17% of free oil. Addition of protease during extraction significantly decreased the yield of isolated soy protein (ISP) due to an increased solubility of the proteins at pH 4.5. ISP from extruded EAEP had higher solubility at pH 7.0 and better functionality. The DSC results, combined with the protein extraction yields, showed that a proportion of the proteins became insoluble after extrusion and 500 MPa treatment, while only those extracted from 500 MPa FFSF had a reduced native state.