Enriching gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) content in germinated soybean

Abstract

GABA has a hypoglycemic effect, lowering blood pressure, preventing depression and reducing anxiety. Germinated soybean, which is using quite very popular in daily life, has a high concentration of GABA. This study was conducted to build a simple GABA-enriching process, increasing products‟ value.In this study, we conducted surveys on some factors affecting GABA stimulation under hypoxia-anaerobic condition such as pH of soaking water, temperature and germination time. Comtemporarily, we also performed optimization of germination conditions based on above factors. GABA was measured photometrically. Data were processed by Design-Expert 8.0.6 software.The results showed the optimal conditions for temperature being 35oC, time being 3 days and pH being 6.5. The highest GABA content was 23.467 ppm; which was 9.46 times higher than in original soybeans with similar conditions.