Soybean trypsin inhibitor and urease activities and their correlations as affected by heating method, duration, sample matrix, and prior soaking

Urease activity (UA) in soybeans has historically been measured to indicate heating inadequacy. Yet, over the years, controversy has emerged regarding the reliability of UA as a heating index and surrogate for trypsin inhibitor activity (TIA). In Experiments 1–4, raw soybean materials with different matrices (whole beans, flakes, full‐fat and defatted flours) were selectively subjected to steaming, boiling, or dry oven toasting for various durations. For steaming or boiling soybeans, with or without prior soaking was another factor. Reduction rates of TIA and UA with heating time were compared, their correlation coefficients were determined and statistically treated. Experiment 5 entailed collecting 30 commercial soybean meals and measuring TIA and UA without further treatments. By combining the five experiments into a single study, the most comprehensive spectra regarding relative decreasing rates of TIA and UA with heating time and their correlations were obtained. Results show that the reduction rate of UA could be slower than, close to, or faster than that of TIA, depending on combinations of four factors (sample matrix, with or without prior soaking, heating method and interval). UA reached zero within shorter heating durations, while TIA maintained residual values at the longest durations. Consequently, positive correlations between TIA and UA varied from insignificant to very strong. UA was a reliable index for heating inadequacy and surrogate for TIA in soybean products heated by several single combinations of the four factors, but for those heated by other single or mixed combinations, it was unreliable, and TIA should be measured directly.