Improvement of functional properties of whey soy protein phosphorylated by dry-heating in the presence of pyrophosphate

The physicochemical and functional properties of a whey soyprotein (WSP), which was phosphorylated by dry heating, were investigated. The phosphorus content of WSP was 0.85 g/100 g by dry-heating at pH 4.0 for 5 days in the presence of pyrophosphate. 31P NMR spectral data suggested that the serine and sugar of WSP were phosphorylated. Although changes in the random coil structure of WSP measured by circular dichroism were mild, increased surface hydrophobicity and decreased tryptophan fluorescence intensity were observed following phosphorylation. Phosphorylation improved the stability against heat-induced insolubility, emulsifying properties, foaming properties, water absorption capacity, and oil absorption capacity of WSP. These results suggested that dry-heating phosphorylation is a useful method for improving the functional properties of WSP.