Abstract
This study was carried out to investigate the effects of enzyme treatments on the functional properties of soy protein isolate (SPI) and to examine the quality attributes of soy yogurt prepared by different enzyme treatments, sweeteners and starter cultures. Enzyme treatment increased the solubility and emulsifying capacity of soy proteins, but decreased the emulsifying stability; the enzymatic activity of ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsin was higher than that of trypsin. Enzyme treatments decreased the pH of soy yogurts prepared by both culture methods, the culture of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus and the culture of L. bulgaricus and K. fragilis, but increased the titratable acidity, total numbers of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Trypsin was more effective than ${\alpha}$-chymotrypsin in decreasing pH and increasing titratable acidity and total numbers of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. Fructose decreased the pH of soy yogurts more than sucrose in the culture of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus, and vice versa in the culture of L. bulgaricus and K. fragilis. Fructooligosaccharides were more effective in the culture of L. bulgaricus and K. fragilis than in the culture of L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus in increasing the titratable acidity, total count of lactic acid bacteria and yeast. In sensory evaluation, soy yogurts containing trypsin treated SPI, fructose and fructooligosaccharides (75%:25%) were more acceptable than those containing untreated or trypsin treated SPI and fructose. This was because of more smooth and less sour, in which the values of pH, titratable acidity, microbial growth, and viscosity were in the range of commercial yogurts. Soy yogurts fermented by L. bulgaricus and K. fragilis showed more smooth mouthfeel than those fermented by L. bulgaricus and S. thermophilus.