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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Aberdeen, Idaho » Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #434527
Research Project: Innovations in Feed Science, Farming Practices, and Broodstock Management to Improve Sustainability of Salmonid Aquaculture

Location: Small Grains and Potato Germplasm Research

Title: Screening cultivated and wild soybean germplasms for activities and contents of Kunitz and Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors to enhance protein quality through breeding

Author
item Liu, Keshun

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/2/2026
Publication Date: 4/24/2026
Citation: Liu, K. 2026. Screening cultivated and wild soybean germplasms for activities and contents of Kunitz and Bowman-Birk protease inhibitors to enhance protein quality through breeding. Meeting Abstract. https://annualmeeting.aocs.org/program/technical-program/.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Cultivated soybeans (Glycine max) originated from wild ancestors, Glycine soja, in East Asia, with domestication in China some 8000 years ago. This ancient crop is now a global commodity and major source of oil and proteins for humans and animals. Yet, soybeans naturally contain two proteinase inhibitors (PI): Kunitz trypsin inhibitor (KTI) and Bowman-Birk inhibitor (BBI). Both exert antinutritional effects, but BBI has an anti-cancer effect. Breeding soybeans with altered contents of PI has long been pursued as an alternative to thermal processing. Recently, enzymatic and algebraic methodology was developed in our laboratory, enabling measurements of inhibitory activities against trypsin (TIA) and chymotrypsin (CIA) and contents of KTI and BBI in soybeans, simultaneously. The present study applied this methodology to screen 44 cultivated and 20 wild soybeans, provided by the USDA-ARS Soybean Germplasm Collection, National Soybean Research Center, Urbana, IL, USA, and to determine their relationship. We found that the range and mean values of TIA, CIA, KTI content, BBI content and total PI content were larger in wild soybeans than cultivated soybeans. Consequently, KTI, BBI and PI constituted higher % of total seed proteins in wild soybeans than cultivated ones. TIA and CIA had positive linear relationship in cultivated (strong) and wild (moderate) soybeans. Yet, the content of KTI and BBI had a weak positive linear relation in cultivated soybeans, but a moderate negative linear relationship in wild soybeans. Hopefully, these new findings will assist plant breeders to develop soybeans with altered PI content and inhibitory activities for better food and feed.