Effect of genotype and environment on the surface characteristics and functionality of air-classified faba bean protein concentrates

The overall goal of this research was to examine the effect of genotype and environment on the ratio of legumin to vicilin proteins (L/V), the surface characteristics and the functionality of air-classified faba bean protein concentrates. Seeds of five faba bean (Vicia faba) genotypes (CDC-Fatima, Taboar, SSNS-1, FB9-4 and FB18-20) grown in 2012 at two field plot locations, Melita and Morden (Manitoba, Canada), were used. L/V ratios ranged from 3.76 to 5.40 depending on the genotype and the environment, as only the effect of environment was found to be significant (p < 0.05). The L/V ratio for concentrates produced from seeds grown in Melita was greater than those grown in Morden. The effect of genotype and the interaction effect between genotype and environment on the surface charge were also found to be significant (p < 0.05). The protein concentrates' surface charge ranged between -19.4 and -31.8 mV (at pH 7.0). The effect of environment on the interfacial tension was significant (p < 0.001), as the values for protein concentrates were found to be lower for those produced from seeds grown in Melita (7.9 mN/m) than those grown in Morden (10.2 mN/m). No significant effects were found for the surface tension and foaming capacity in response to either genotype or environment. The foam stability was influenced by the environment and by the interaction between genotype and environment (p < 0.05). The effects of genotype and environment on the emulsion stability, oil-holding capacity and water hydration capacity were insignificant. As for the protein concentrates' solubility, the effect of genotype and the interaction between genotype and environment were significant, with values of solubility ranging between 82.3 and 88.0 %.