ABSTRACT
Soluble soybean polysaccharide (SSPS) is a water-soluble polysaccharide extracted from soybean. SSPS is extracted from the okara by heating it under weakly acidic conditions. Molecular mass distribution of SSPS was determined by the method of gel permeation chromatography using refractive index and multiangle laser light scattering detection. SSPS functionality seems to complement that of pectin, because at pH 4.6, pectin stabilizes acid dispersions, whereas under acidic conditions, SSPS sorbs to the surface of casein micelles and prevents aggregation. The adhesive strength of SSPS films was compared to that of the films produced from pullulan and gum arabic. The stabilization by SSPS has been hypothesized to occur through the mechanism described. The galacturonic acid in the polysaccharide might be located within the main backbone of the molecule. However, lower amounts of SSPS are needed to stabilize acidic emulsions as compared to those reported for gum arabic and modified starch.
