Germination conditions such as pH, temperature, time effect accumulation of peptides in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.)

Recent studies have revealed that soybean can be a good source of natural peptides, which can offer a number of surprising health benefits. Now, a new study shows that the accumulation of peptides in soybean can be affected directly by a number of different factors, namely, soil temperature and pH, as shown by a group of researchers.

• It is said that during germination, high levels of peptides are known to accumulate in the tissues of legumes. As such, they are viewed as a good source of peptides, as well as other beneficial nutrients.
• In the study, the researchers looked at the effects of certain germination conditions, such as pH level, soil temperature, and time itself, on protease activity and the accumulation of peptides in soybean tissue.
• The researchers aimed to further optimize germination conditions for the accumulation of peptides through response surface methodology by relying on the desirable level scope of parameters.
• After analyzing the data that they gathered, the researchers found that pH level, temperature, and time (P<0.05) greatly influenced the peptides’ yield and protease activity in the observed plants. They discovered that the optimal pH, temperature, and time for protease activity were five, 25 degrees Celsius, and six days, respectively.
• On the other hand, optimal pH, temperature, and time for peptide content were 5, 30 degrees Celsius, and 5 days, respectively. The researchers also noted that Box–Behnken design indicated the following optimal germination conditions: a pH of 4.8, a temperature of 29 degrees Celsius, and time of 5 days.

Once they managed to analyze all of the data, the researchers were able to conclude that the highest peptides content could be obtained in germinated soybean through a certain method. Using principles based on their research results, they deemed germinated soybean a valuable component of foods that are rich in peptides.

Journal Reference:

Zou Y, Hou X. EFFECTS OF GERMINATION CONDITIONS ON PEPTIDES ACCUMULATION IN SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX L. MERR.) Acta Alimentaria. 8 August 2017;46(3):346–354. DOI: 10.1556/066.2017.46.3.10