2.2.1 Cellulases
Cellulases are produced by molds, bacteria, or single-celled organisms
and can hydrolyze cellulose and catalyze the separated links glucoside
in the cellulose molecule, with the end product being glucose (Hoa N T,
2014, ). The enzymes (cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases) seem
to be effective in breaking down the structure of the cotyledon cell
wall and lipid body membranes, which leads to disruption of structural
integrity, thereby increasing the permeability of the cell wall, finally
resulting in enhancement of the extraction yield (Puri, 2012). Several
studies on enzyme-assisted extraction of soybean flour have shown
promising progress in increasing protein yield (Jung, 2006.) as well as
improving the nutritional and sensory properties (Wei, 2018.) of the
extracted product by cellulases. A study demonstrated that treatment
with cellulase, xylanase, and pectinase alone for a 2-hour alkali
extraction resulted in a 13% increase in protein yield compared to a
3-hour alkali extraction. Thus, with the help of the enzymes, not only
the alkaline extraction time is reduced but also the protein yield is
positively affected. Furthermore, the proteins from the enzyme-assisted
alkaline extraction exhibited better solubility, emulsification, and
whipping properties (Perović et al., 2020).