Effect of Oleosins on the Stability of Oil Bodies in Soymilk

The aim of this study was to describe the effect of oleosins on the stability of oil bodies in the production of soymilk. We investigated the protein content, average particle diameter and SDS-PAGE analysis of oil bodies at different stages of the soymilk manufacturing process. N-terminal sequencing analysis showed that 11-kDa and 9-kDa fragments, which were not digested by papain, were present at the hydrophilic C-terminal domains of the 24-kDa oleosin and did not undergo decomposition. In terms of colloidal stability, oil bodies from soybeans had the highest floating rate. The binding of oleosin and soymilk proteins was shown to play a role in colloidal stability, especially in solutions with less than 2.5 mg/mL protein. Using transmission electron microscopy, it was found that the surface of the oil bodies was coated in proteins, increasing their stability.