Effect of the heating process on the physicochemical characteristics and nutritional properties of whole cotyledon soymilk and tofu

This study focused on the effect of the heating process on the whole cotyledon soymilk and tofu. Whole cotyledon soymilk was made from soybean cotyledon and processed by enzymatic hydrolysis using cellulase and high-pressure homogeneity. In this study, a one-step heating method was selected for the cooking process of whole cotyledon soybean milk, and the whole cotyledon soybean milk was heated to 90 °C and held for 4 min. Results showed that the protein, total saccharides and dietary fiber content of the whole cotyledon soymilk were higher than those of the tradition soymilk due to the existence of bean dregs (okara). Both protein aggregation and protein–polysaccharide interaction were observed during the heating process. We also found a change in soymilk physicochemical characteristics such as particle size distribution, viscosity, surface hydrophobicity and soluble protein during the heating process. The results in this study showed that compared with traditional tofu, the phytic acid and trypsin inhibitor content in whole cotyledon tofu was lower, so its protein had higher digestibility in vitro. In conclusion, whole cotyledon tofu had better health properties and application prospects.