Abstract: In this study, soybean globulin was treated with hydrodynamic cavitation in a single-hole orifice plate. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) pattern, particle size, zeta potential, intrinsic fluorescence spectrum, surface hydrophobicity, and sulfhydryl content of soybean globulin were determined to evaluate the impact of hydrodynamic cavitation on physicochemical properties of soybean globulin. After treatment for 30 min, no change in the molecular mass was observed by SDS-PAGE. On the other hand, the average particle size was decreased from (335.67 ± 3.43) to (234.73 ± 4.32) nm. The zeta potential was increased from (24.47 ± 0.51) to (31.30 ± 2.74) mV. The fluorescence emission maximum showed a red shift, and surface hydrophobicity was increased from (1 970.67 ± 35.00) to (2 373.67 ± 75.57). The exposed sulfhydryl content was decreased from (5.11 ± 0.35) to (3.76 ± 0.16) μmol/g, and the total sulfhydryl content was decreased from (7.31 ± 0.27) to (5.35 ± 0.28) μmol/g. Therefore, hydrodynamic cavitation in single-hole orifice plate altered the spatial structure of soybean and consequently its physicochemical properties. This study provides a theoretical basis for the application of hydrodynamic cavitation in the modification of protein.

Key words: hydrodynamic cavitation in single-hole orifice plate, soybean globulin, physicochemical properties