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Enzyme-based processing of soybean carbohydrate: Recent developments and future prospects

Enzyme-based processing of soybean carbohydrate: Recent developments and future prospects
Learning Objets
Summary
The work highlights the underutilized potential of soybean carbohydrates, which constitute 26–30% of the dried bean. Unlike protein and oil, soybean carbohydrates are difficult to process and can cause anti-nutritional effects in food and feed. The review details how enzyme-based processing—particularly carbohydrases and related enzymes—offers sustainable and efficient alternatives to conventional chemical or physical methods for soybean processing.

Key themes include:
1. Hydrolysis of carbohydrate-rich soybean byproducts (hulls, meal, molasses, okara) into fermentable sugars for biorefinery applications.
2. Enzyme-assisted oil extraction processes as environmentally friendly alternatives to solvent extraction.
3. Nutritional improvements in soybean-based foods and animal feeds by reducing indigestibility and anti-nutritional factors.
4. Prospects for early-stage enzymatic processing to unify raw material quality, increase efficiency, and expand applications in bio-based industries.

This resource emphasizes enzyme technology’s role in advancing sustainable agriculture, food security, and green chemistry by converting a currently underutilized biomass fraction into value-added products.

Authors/Contributors
Abdullah Al Loman, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, USA
Lu-Kwang Ju, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Akron, USA

Citation
Al Loman, A., & Ju, L.-K. (2017). Enzyme-based processing of soybean carbohydrate: Recent developments and future prospects. Enzyme and Microbial Technology, 106, 35–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2017.06.013
Keyword Tags
Enzymes
Carbohydrates
Soybean Oil
Proteins
Fermentation
Soy Chemistry
Renewable Feedstocks
Link to external
Link to external article
Learning Goals/Student Objectives
By engaging with this Learning Object, students will be able to:
1. Explain the role of enzymes in biomass processing
Describe how carbohydrase and related enzymes break down complex soybean carbohydrates into fermentable sugars.

2. Compare enzymatic vs. chemical/physical processing methods
Evaluate advantages and disadvantages of enzymatic hydrolysis compared to acid hydrolysis and solvent extraction.

3. Connect soybean processing to sustainability and green chemistry
Identify how enzyme-based processing reduces reliance on hazardous chemicals (e.g., hexane), improves resource efficiency, and creates value from underutilized biomass.

4. Analyze real-world applications of biotechnology
Discuss how enzyme processing improves soybean oil extraction, enhances nutritional quality of food and feed, and supports bio-based product development.

5. Model biochemical and engineering principles
Relate enzyme kinetics, substrate specificity, and reaction conditions (pH, temperature, concentration) to reaction efficiency and industrial application.

6. Evaluate trade-offs in industrial biotechnology
Consider economic, environmental, and technical factors in designing sustainable soybean processing systems.

7. Develop systems-level thinking
Explain how converting soybean carbohydrates into biofuels or specialty chemicals contributes to the circular bioeconomy and carbon cycling.
Object Type
Case studies
Journal articles
Audience
Upper/Advanced Undergraduate
Common pedagogies covered
Blended learning
Green Chemistry Principles
Waste Prevention
Safer Solvents and Auxiliaries
Design for Energy Efficiency
Use of Renewable Feedstocks
Catalysis
Design for Degradation
U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
Zero Hunger
Affordable and Clean Energy
Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Responsible Consumption and Production
Climate Action
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
Safety Precautions, Hazards, and Risk Assessment
1. Enzymes and Biological Materials
⚠️ Allergic reactions / respiratory sensitization: Commercial enzymes (e.g., cellulase, pectinase, α-galactosidase) may cause allergic skin or respiratory reactions if inhaled or contacted directly.
Precaution: Handle enzymes in a fume hood or well-ventilated area; wear gloves, lab coat, and safety goggles; avoid inhalation of powders/aerosols.

⚠️ Microbial enzyme sources: Some enzymes are produced via fungal or bacterial fermentation. While generally recognized as safe (GRAS), avoid ingestion and treat as potentially biohazardous until confirmed otherwise.
Precaution: Follow biosafety level 1 practices; wash hands after handling.

Chemical Pretreatments (if demonstrated in laboratory settings)

⚠️ Acid/base use: Dilute sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) may be used for pretreatment in research demonstrations. Both are corrosive to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Precaution: Use appropriate PPE (acid/base resistant gloves, face shield, lab coat); ensure neutralization and proper waste disposal.

⚠️ Organic solvents (e.g., hexane): Conventional soybean oil extraction uses hexane, a volatile, flammable, and toxic solvent. While enzyme-assisted methods reduce or eliminate hexane, its use in comparison studies may present hazards.
Precaution: Avoid open flames; use only in fume hoods with explosion-proof equipment; substitute greener methods where possible.

2. Laboratory Practices
✅ Ensure proper waste segregation (biological vs. chemical waste).
✅ Provide spill kits for acid/base neutralization.
✅ Train students on proper pipetting and handling techniques to avoid cross-contamination.
✅ Encourage use of small-scale, low-concentration demonstrations to minimize risks.

3. Risk Assessment Summary
a. Main hazards: enzyme sensitization, corrosive pretreatment reagents, potential solvent exposure.
b. Risk level: Low to moderate, depending on reagents used.
c. Mitigation: use enzyme-only demonstrations whenever possible; substitute greener conditions; apply standard laboratory safety protocols (PPE, fume hood, waste management).
NGSS Standards, if applicable
High School – Life Sciences (HS-LS1 & HS-LS2)
HS-LS1-6: Construct and revise an explanation based on evidence for how carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen from sugar molecules may combine with other elements to form amino acids and other large carbon-based molecules.
Relevance: Students explore how soybean carbohydrates are broken down into fermentable sugars by enzymes.

HS-LS1-7: Use a model to illustrate that cellular respiration is a chemical process whereby bonds of food molecules and oxygen are broken and new compounds are formed, resulting in a net transfer of energy.
Relevance: Links to enzymatic hydrolysis producing sugars that can be used in bio-refinery fermentation.

HS-LS2-5: Develop a model to illustrate the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of carbon among the biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
Relevance: Soybeans as a renewable carbon source for sustainable materials and fuels.

High School – Physical Sciences (HS-PS1)
HS-PS1-2: Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of chemical properties.
Relevance: Understanding enzymatic catalysis compared to chemical hydrolysis of carbohydrates.

HS-PS1-5: Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate of a reaction.
Relevance: Directly connects to enzyme kinetics, optimal temperature/pH, and processing efficiency.

Engineering, Technology, and Applications of Science (HS-ETS1)
HS-ETS1-3: Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints.
Relevance: Evaluating enzyme-assisted extraction vs. conventional hexane extraction for oil recovery.

HS-ETS1-4: Use a computer simulation to model the impact of proposed solutions to a complex real-world problem.
Relevance: Modeling sustainability and economic impacts of enzymatic soybean processing in food, feed, and bio-based fuel production.

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Kris Weigal
Published on
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