Influence of legume-derived proteins with varying solubility on the direct expansion of corn starch during twin-screw extrusion processing.

This study analyzed the effect of the inclusion of legume-derived proteins, specifically pea and fava bean protein, with varying solubility levels on the expansion of corn starch. Three different proteins exhibiting low, medium, or high solubility were mixed with corn starch to obtain blends containing 15%, 25%, and 35% (w/w) of the protein. Extrusion was performed on a twin-screw extruder at three different screw speeds (200, 400, and 600 rpm), a moisture content of 16% (w.