Soybean and Human Nutrition

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Nutrition".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 July 2026 | Viewed by 887

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
2. Heilongjiang Green Food Science Research Institute, Harbin 150028, China
Interests: soybean processing; protein; nanoemulsions; soybean based film; antioxidation; hydrogenated oil

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Guest Editor
College of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: food; plant-based foods; proteins; food processing; conformation properties; functional properties; healthy benefits
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue of Foods is dedicated to processing, bioactivity, and health in the context of soybean and human nutrition. Soy is a cornerstone of sustainable diets, valued not only for its high-quality protein and balanced amino acid profile but also for its rich spectrum of bioactive components. The transformation of soy into health-promoting foods is critically dependent on processing, which unlocks its nutritional potential, while mitigating existing anti-nutritional factors and improving palatability. This Special Issue seeks to compile cutting-edge research that bridges food science and nutritional physiology, focusing on how processing innovations—from traditional fermentation to novel technologies—can enhance the functionality, safety, and acceptance of soy-based foods for human health.

We welcome original research articles and reviews that provide novel insights and robust evidence. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  1. Effects of processing on soybean nutritional properties and functionality.
  2. Health benefits of soybean bioactive components.
  3. Soybean’s protein digestibility, amino acid bioavailability, and role in muscle and metabolic health.
  4. Impact of soybean components on gut health.
  5. Soybean consumption and metabolic health.
  6. Influence of processing and storage on the oxidative stability and shelf-life of soy products.
  7. Reduction in or elimination of anti-nutritional factors (e.g., trypsin inhibitors, phytates, allergens) in soybean products.
  8. Novel food development: Design, formulation, and sensory optimization of innovative soy-based foods and ingredients (e.g., meat/dairy analogues, functional ingredients).

Prof. Dr. Huanyu Zheng
Prof. Dr. Yang Li
Guest Editors

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • soybean
  • nutrition
  • food processing
  • protein
  • health
  • trypsin inhibitors
  • phytates
  • allergens
  • bioactive components
  • lecithin
  • soybean isoflavones

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 1793 KB  
Article
From Charcuterie to Plant-Based: Harnessing Penicillium nalgiovense for Innovative Soybean Co-Culture Fermentation
by Xin Hui Chin, Ryan Soh, Geraldine Chan, Pnelope Ng, Aaron Thong, Hosam Elhalis, Yoganathan Kanagasundaram, Yvonne Chow and Shao Quan Liu
Foods 2026, 15(6), 1053; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15061053 - 17 Mar 2026
Viewed by 580
Abstract
Improving the flavour of soybean-based ingredients remains challenging as soybeans naturally contain compounds that generate green and beany notes. This study evaluated how the surface-growing food-grade fungus Penicillium nalgiovense (PN), alone and together with selected yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, alters the chemistry [...] Read more.
Improving the flavour of soybean-based ingredients remains challenging as soybeans naturally contain compounds that generate green and beany notes. This study evaluated how the surface-growing food-grade fungus Penicillium nalgiovense (PN), alone and together with selected yeasts and lactic acid bacteria, alters the chemistry and sensory attributes of soybeans during solid-state fermentation. PN showed strong proteolytic activity in the monoculture fermentation, producing the highest accumulation of free amino acids (1324 mg/100 g), while its combination with Lactiplantibacillus plantarum (LP) further increased this to 1487 mg/100 g due to acid-assisted protease action. Sugar and organic acid profiles reflected distinct metabolic roles among the strains; for example, PNLP and PN-Debaryomyces hansenii (DH) depleted sucrose and glucose completely by 72 h, whereas DH retained substantial sucrose. Fermentation also altered the lipid profiles, where PN-Kluyveromyces marxianus (KM) showed the highest increase in polyunsaturated fatty acids, with linoleic and α-linolenic acid increasing more than twofold and threefold, respectively. Volatile analysis showed a significant decrease in hexanal (from 18.3 µg/g in control to <2.0 µg/g post fermentation) and an increase in esters, floral alcohols, and savoury compounds depending on the microbial pairing. Electronic tongue profiling showed that PN-fermented samples produced the strongest savoury taste signals. Overall, the work highlights how specific PN-yeast or PN-LAB combinations can be used to modulate flavour development in fermented soy-based substrates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soybean and Human Nutrition)
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