Reduction in Soybean Flour Allergenicity Through Ball Milling Combined with γ-Aminobutyric Acid Treatment

Soybean flour (SF) allergy is a common food allergy reaction that significantly impacts patients' daily diet and quality of life. This study used a combination of physical ball milling technology and γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) treatment to reduce the antigenicity of SF. When the material ball ratio was 1:14 (w/w), SF after ball milling treatment exhibited the smallest average particle size, and the highest solubility, bulk density, and antioxidant capacity. The functional properties of SF were further enhanced by adding GABA. Meanwhile, SF with 0.4% added GABA exhibited the smallest average particle size, the highest solubility, and the highest antioxidant capacity. The antigen content in soybean flour was determined using the soy glycinin ELISA kit and β-conglycinin ELISA kit. Compared with the original SF, the antigen contents of globulin and β-conglycinin decreased by 89.11% and 89.61%, respectively, in SF with the addition of 0.4% GABA after ball milling treatment. These results indicate that the addition of GABA not only further optimizes the solubility and antioxidant properties of SF, but also significantly reduces its antigen content. This study developed a combined treatment method to reduce allergenicity, overcoming the limitations of a single physical or biological treatment and providing a new technical approach for developing soybean flour products with low allergenicity.