Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Journal of food science and technology(Iran)

Functional Characterization of Black Bean Protein with Emphasis on Solubility, Foam Formation and Stability

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
saeideh shafiei varzaneh 1
Nafiseh Zamindar 2
Shohreh Vahed 3
Seyed Nezamoddin Mirsattari 4
1 PhD Student, Department of Food Science, Shah .C., Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Food Science and Technology, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 Assistant Professor, Department of Food Science, Shah .C., Islamic Azad University, Shahreza, Iran
4 Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry, Institute of Agriculture, Water, Food, and Nutraceuticals, Isf.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
10.48311/fsct.2026.84082.0
Abstract
In the growing food industry landscape, the increasing attention to foam-structured foods as healthy and attractive components necessitates a deeper understanding of the functional properties of plant proteins. Plant proteins, especially black bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) proteins, have been considered as healthy and natural alternatives to animal proteins. However, a deep understanding of the environmental parameters affecting the solubility, foaming and stability properties of these proteins plays a key role in improving their performance. In this study, the effects of physicochemical conditions including alkaline pH (9-11), isoelectric pH (4-5) and temperature (4-24 °C) on the solubility, foaming capacity and stability of black bean proteins were investigated. The results showed that increasing alkaline pH and temperature led to a significant improvement in protein structure and the formation of a more stable layer. Higher temperatures caused partial denaturation and the emergence of hydrophobic regions, which create stronger protein networks. Under the optimal physicochemical conditions including alkaline pH (10.08), isoelectric pH (4) and temperature (24°C), the highest solubility (1.15%), highest foaming capacity (253.02%), and highest foam stability at 30 min (111.09%) and 60 min (57.80%) were observed. The software prediction results did not differ significantly from the experimental data (p>0.05). These findings not only provide a greater understanding of the mechanisms of foam formation and stability, but also pave the way for the development of plant-based foam products with optimized physical and functional properties.
Keywords
Black bean protein
Functional Properties
Foaming properties
Foam stability
Protein Solubility
Subjects
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