In this contribution, we have determined the effect of limited enzymatic hydrolysis on the interfacial(dynamics of adsorption and surface dilatational properties) and foaming (foam formation andstabilization) characteristics of a soy globulin (
-conglycinin, fraction 7S). The degree of hydrolysis(DH = 0, 2, and 5%), the pH of the aqueous solution (pH = 5 and 7), and the protein concentrationin solution (at 0.1, 0.5, and 1 wt %) were the variables studied. The temperature and the ionic strengthwere maintained constant at 20
C and 0.05 M, respectively. The rate of adsorption and surfacedilatational properties (surface dilatational modulus,
E, and loss angle) of
-conglycinin at the air-water interface depend on the pH and DH. The adsorption decreased drastically at pH 5.0, close tothe isoelectric point of
-conglycinin, because of the existence of a lag period and a low rate ofdiffusion. The interfacial characteristics of
-conglycinin are much improved by enzymatic treatment,especially in the case of acidic aqueous solutions. Hydrolysates with a low DH have improvedfunctional properties (mainly foaming capacity and foam stability), especially at pH values close tothe isoelectric point (pI), because the protein is more difficult to convert into a film at fluid interfacesat pH
pI.