2019
Modification of insoluble Dietary Fiber in Soybean Residue Okara
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Contributor/Checkoff:
North Dakota Soybean Council
Category:
Food
Keywords:
Human foodHuman health
Parent Project:
This is the first year of this project.
Lead Principal Investigator:
Jiajia Rao, North Dakota State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
QSSB
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
North Dakota Soybean Council
$7,003
Institution Funded:
North Dakota State University
$7,003
Brief Project Summary:

Dietary fiber is a food component to reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. However, insoluble fiber is the dominate fraction of raw okara dietary fiber, which greatly impedes its utilization as a food ingredient. Fresh okara consists of 10-12g of insoluble dietary fiber. The research suggests that an autoclave and enzyme treatment can significantly convert insoluble fiber in okara to soluble fiber and improve its functionality as a food ingredient, which could increase the value of soybean as well as the byproduct of okara. The proposed technique could produce one million tons of soluble dietary fiber annually as a functional food ingredient.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, scientists, food scientists, nutritionists

Information And Results
Project Deliverables

The optimized enzyme-assisted microfluidization process to convert waste okara to value-added soluble dietary fiber will be developed. The research results will be shared with ND soybean growers, soy product manufactures and consumers, presented to US soybean organizations and at international scientific meetings. The results will also be published in peer-reviewed journals. The PI will assist North Dakota Soybean Council on soybean marketing and promotion using the novel technique developed from this project. The PI will coordinate the release of study findings with NDSU and NDSC in news release and media report.

Final Project Results

Update:

View uploaded report Word file

Research conducted
The influence of physical pretreatments (milling, autoclave, ultrasound), enzyme type (Viscozyme, Celluclast and Shearzyme), reaction time (12, 24 and 36h), reaction pH (pH 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6) on the physical and functional properties of okara has been examined. All experiment conditions and parameters have been optimized to achieve desirable functionality of okara including water holding, oil holding and swelling capacity.
Why the research is important to ND soybean farmers

The impact of this research is hard valued monetarily to the ND soybean farmers, since there is no commercial production of okara soluble dietary fiber in market yet. But based on the current market price (US$ 400/ton) for soybean fiber directly extracted from soybeans, the economic impact would be huge for the soy product manufactures. Fresh okara consists of 10-12 g insoluble dietary fiber/100g okara and 80 g moisture/100 g okara. The success of proposed technique could potentially produce one million tons of soluble dietary fiber annually as functional food ingredients and an increased extra venue of $400/ton in 1 million tons could amount $400,000,000. The additional value of okara promoted by this technique will create new market for soybean product manufactures. This in return will increase the demand of ND soybeans and benefit ND soybean farmers to expand marketing and stabilize soybean price.
Final findings of the research

Our data strongly suggested that autoclave + enzyme treatment significantly improved the physical properties of okara insoluble dietary fiber. The results showed that autoclave (121? for 20 min) plus enzyme (ration 1:1, pH 5.5 for 12 h) treated okara had more disintegrated and irregular surface structure. Enzyme + autoclave treatment showed greatest functionalities for the okara of all the three particle size due to majority of insoluble fiber converted to soluble fiber. In addition, compared to the control (non-treatment) group, autoclave treatment alone significantly increased the water holding capacity.

Benefits/Recommendations to North Dakota soybean farmers and industry
Dietary fiber has been reported as a functional food component to reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. However, insoluble fiber is the dominate fraction of raw okara dietary fiber which greatly impeded its utilization as food ingredient. Our study suggested that autoclave and enzyme treatment significantly converted insoluble fiber in okara to soluble fiber and improved its functionality as a food ingredient which could increase the value of soybean as well as the byproduct of okara.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.