Food protein functionality: A comprehensive approach

Oxidative polyaldehyde production: a novel approach to the conjugation of dextran with soy peptides for improved emulsifying properties

Dextran (polyol) was oxidized with 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 % sodium hypochlorite at pH 9.5 and 35 °C to produce polyaldehyde dextran (PD), which was subsequently conjugated with soy peptides (SP) to improve surface activity. SP-PD complexes were formed by heating 1 % SP and 10 % PD at 60 °C and pH 6.5 for 48 h. PD was more reactive than unmodified dextran with SP to produce conjugates based on the Schiff base with absorption at 294 nm. The formation of SP-PD complexes was confirmed by SDS-PAGE with glycoprotein staining. Turbidity and particle size measurements indicated the SP-PD conjugates had significantly improved emulsifying properties compared to non-conjugated SP and the SP/PD mixtures. The results indicate that controlled oxidation of polysaccharides can be a novel technique to efficiently synthesize amphiphilic functional biopolymers.

Comparison of the colloidal stability, bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of corn protein hydrolysate and sodium caseinate stabilized curcumin nanoparticles

The aims of this work were to construct corn protein hydrolysate (CPH)-based curcumin nanoparticles (Cur NPs) and to compare the colloidal stability, bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity of the Cur NPs stabilized CPH and sodium caseinate (NaCas) respectively. The results indicated that Cur solubility could be considerably improved after the Cur NPs fabrication. The spectroscopy results demonstrated that the solubilization of Cur should be attributed to its complexation with CPH or NaCas. The Cur NPs exhibited good colloidal stability after 1 week's storage but showed smaller (40 nm) size in CPH than in NaCas (100 nm). After lyophilization, the Cur NPs powders showed good rehydration properties and chemical stability, and compared with NaCas, the size of Cur NPs stabilized by CPH was still smaller. Additionally, the Cur NPs exhibited higher chemical stability against the temperature compared with free Cur, and the CPH could protect Cur from degradation more efficiently. Comparing with NaCas, the Cur NPs stabilized by CPH exhibited better bioaccessibility and antioxidant activity. This study demonstrated that CPH may be better than NaCas in Cur NPs fabrication and it opens up the possibility of using hydrophobic protein hydrolysate to construct the NPs delivery system.

Relevance of the Functional Properties of Enzymatic Plant Protein Hydrolysates in Food Systems

Proteins play a crucial role in determining texture and structure of many food products. Although some animal proteins (such as egg white) have excellent functional and organoleptic properties, unfortunately, they entail a higher production cost and environmental impact than plant proteins. It is rather unfortunate that plant protein functionality is often insufficient because of low solubility in aqueous media. Enzymatic hydrolysis strongly increases solubility of proteins and alters their functional properties. The latter is attributed to 3 major structural changes: a decrease in average molecular mass, a higher availability of hydrophobic regions, and the liberation of ionizable groups. We here review current knowledge on solubility, water- and fat-holding capacity, gelation, foaming, and emulsifying properties of plant protein hydrolysates and discuss how these properties are affected by controlled enzymatic hydrolysis. In many cases, research in this field has been limited to fairly simple set-ups where functionality has been assessed in model systems. To evolve toward a more widely applied industrial use of plant protein hydrolysates, a more thorough understanding of functional properties is required. The structure-function relationship of protein hydrolysates needs to be studied in depth. Finally, test model systems closer to real food processing conditions, and thus to real foods, would be helpful to evaluate whether plant protein hydrolysates could be a viable alternative for other functional protein sources.

Functional food microstructures for macronutrient release and delivery

There is a need to understand the role of fat, protein and carbohydrate in human health, and also how foods containing and/or structured using these macronutrients can be designed so that they can have a positive impact on health. This may include a reduction in fat, salt or sugar, the protection and targeted release of micronutrients or active ingredients from/to particular parts of the digestive system, improvement of gastrointestinal health or satiety enhancing properties. Such foods can be designed with various macro- and microstructures that will impact on macronutrient release and delivery. These include simple and double emulsions, the use of Pickering particles and shells, nanoparticles, liposomes, gelled networks, fluid gels and gel particles, foams, self-assembled structures, and encapsulated systems. In order to design foods that deliver these benefits understanding of how these structures behave in the gastrointestinal tract is also required, which should involve utilising both in vitro and in vivo studies. This review aims to draw together research in these areas, by focusing on the current state of the art, but also exciting possibilities for future research and food development.

Soft matter food physics--the physics of food and cooking

This review discusses the (soft matter) physics of food. Although food is generally not considered as a typical model system for fundamental (soft matter) physics, a number of basic principles can be found in the interplay between the basic components of foods, water, oil/fat, proteins and carbohydrates. The review starts with the introduction and behavior of food-relevant molecules and discusses food-relevant properties and applications from their fundamental (multiscale) behavior. Typical food aspects from 'hard matter systems', such as chocolates or crystalline fats, to 'soft matter' in emulsions, dough, pasta and meat are covered and can be explained on a molecular basis. An important conclusion is the point that the macroscopic properties and the perception are defined by the molecular interplay on all length and time scales.

Modifying the Cold Gelation Properties of Quinoa Protein Isolate: Influence of Heat-Denaturation pH in the Alkaline Range

Heat-denaturation of quinoa protein isolate (QPI) at alkali pH and its influence on the physicochemical and cold gelation properties was investigated. Heating QPI at pH 8.5 led to increased surface hydrophobicity and decreases in free and bound sulfhydryl group contents. Heating at pH 10.5 caused a lesser degree of changes in sulfhydryl groups and surface hydrophobicity, and the resulting solutions showed drastically increased solubility. SDS PAGE revealed the presence of large aggregates only in the sample heated at pH 8.5, suggesting that any aggregates present in the sample heated at pH 10.5 were non-covalently bound and disintegrated in the presence of SDS. Reducing conditions partially dissolved the aggregates in the pH 8.5 heated sample indicating the occurrence of disulphide bonding, but caused no major alterations in the separation pattern of the pH 10.5 heated sample. Denaturation pH influenced the cold gelation properties greatly. Solutions heated at pH 8.5 formed a coarse coagulum with maximum G' of 5 Pa. Heat-denaturation at 10.5 enabled the proteins to form a finer and regularly structured gel with a maximum G' of 1140 Pa. Particle size analysis showed that the pH 10.5 heated sample contained a higher level of very small particles (0.1-2 μm), and these readily aggregated into large particles (30-200 μm) when pH was lowered to 5.5. Differences in the nature of aggregates formed during heating may explain the large variation in gelation properties.

Prospects of breeding high-quality rice using post-genomic tools

The holistic understanding derived from integrating grain quality and sensory research outcomes in breeding high-quality rice in the light of post-genomics resources has been synthesized. Acceptance of new rice genotypes by producers and consumers hinges not only on their potential for higher yield but recent emphasis has also been on premium-value genotypes that have the ability to satisfy consumer preferences for grain quality. This review article provides insights into how to link grain quality attributes and sensory perception to support breeding superior rice varieties. Recent advances in quality profiling and omics technologies have provided efficient approaches to identify the key genes and biochemical markers involved in rice quality traits. Emphasis has been given to the upcoming area of holistic understanding of grain quality and attributes derived from sensory evaluation to leverage integrative gene discovery strategies that enable breeding programs to efficiently tap the huge genetic diversity in rice for novel genes that enhance rice food quality.

Using state diagrams for predicting colloidal stability of whey protein beverages

A method for evaluating aspects of colloidal stability of whey protein beverages after thermal treatment was established. Three state diagrams for beverages (pH 3-7) were developed representing protein solubility, turbidity, and macroscopic state after two ultrahigh-temperature (UHT) treatments. Key transitions of stability in the state diagrams were explored using electrophoresis and chromatography to determine aggregation propensities of β-lactoglobulin, α-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin, and glycomacropeptide. The state diagrams present an overlapping view of high colloidal stability at pH 3 accompanied by high solubility of individual whey proteins. At pH 5, beverages were characterized by poor solubility, high turbidity, and aggregation/gelation of whey proteins with the exception of glycomacropeptide. Stability increased at pH 6, due to increased solubility of α-lactalbumin. The results indicate that combinations of state diagrams can be used to identify key regions of stability for whey protein containing beverages.

Plant protein-based delivery systems for bioactive ingredients in foods

The application of food-grade delivery systems for the encapsulation, protection and controlled release of bioactive food ingredients have recently gained increasing interest in the research fields of functional foods and pharmaceutics. The preparation and application of bifunctional particles provide a novel perspective for the design of plant protein-based delivery system.

Relating the effects of protein type and content in increased-protein cheese pies to consumers’ perception of satiating capacity

Increasing the protein content proved to be a good strategy for raising expectations on the satiating capacity of a cheese pie model.

Changes in protein conformation and surface hydrophobicity upon peroxidase-catalyzed cross-linking of apo-α-lactalbumin

In this study, we explore the effect of peroxidase-catalyzed cross-linking on the molecular conformation of apo-α-lactalbumin (apo-α-LA) and the resulting changes in protein surface hydrophobicity. In studying conformational changes, we distinguish between early stages of the reaction ("partial cross-linking"), in which only protein oligomers (10(6) Da > Mw ≥ 10(4) Da) are formed, and a later stage ("full cross-linking"), in which larger protein particles (Mw ≥ 10(6) Da) are formed. Partial cross-linking induces a moderate loss of α-helical content. Surprisingly, further cross-linking leads to a partial return of α-helices that are lost upon early cross-linking. At the same time, for partially and fully cross-linked apo-α-LA, almost all tertiary structure is lost. The protein surface hydrophobicity first increases for partial cross-linking, but then decreases again at full cross-linking. Our results highlight the subtle changes in protein conformation and surface hydrophobicity of apo-α-LA upon peroxidase-catalyzed cross-linking.

Strategies to Mitigate Peanut Allergy: Production, Processing, Utilization, and Immunotherapy Considerations

Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.) is an important crop grown worldwide for food and edible oil. The surge of peanut allergy in the past 25 years has profoundly impacted both affected individuals and the peanut and related food industries. In response, several strategies to mitigate peanut allergy have emerged to reduce/eliminate the allergenicity of peanuts or to better treat peanut-allergic individuals. In this review, we give an overview of peanut allergy, with a focus on peanut proteins, including the impact of thermal processing on peanut protein structure and detection in food matrices. We discuss several strategies currently being investigated to mitigate peanut allergy, including genetic engineering, novel processing strategies, and immunotherapy in terms of mechanisms, recent research, and limitations. All strategies are discussed with considerations for both peanut-allergic individuals and the numerous industries/government agencies involved throughout peanut production and utilization.

High pressure control of protein structure and functionality

Purpose

– This article aims to consider the use of high pressure processing in order to gain functional advantages through proteins structure control. High pressure processing has been used to produce high-quality food with extended shelf life and could also be used to modify foods functionality.

Design/methodology/approach

– The effect of high pressure on protein structure and functionality is looked at and comparisons are made with heat effect in places. β-lactoglobulin and whey proteins are mainly taken as examples.

Findings

– A controlled partial protein unfolding through mild high pressure processing could lead to a range of intermediate molecular structures. These are distinct from the native and completely unfolded structure and have been referred to as molten globules. The partly unfolded molecular states, hence, are postulated to have increased functionality and could be interesting for the food industry.

Originality/value

– The opportunity and challenges represented by these theoretical elements are discussed. In particular, the effect of protein concentration and aggregation is emphasised.

Relationship between Secondary Structure and Surface Hydrophobicity of Soybean Protein Isolate Subjected to Heat Treatment

This study investigated relationship between secondary structure and surface hydrophobicity of soy protein isolate (SPI) subjected to a thermal treatment at 70~90°C. Heat denaturation increased the surface hydrophobicity and surface hydrophobicity decreased as aggregate formed. Heat caused an increase in the relative amount ofα-helix structures and an overall decrease in the amount ofβ-sheet structures when compared with nontreated SPI. The relative amounts of secondary structures varied with time, temperature, and intensity of heat treatment applied. Theβ-sheet structure was most important for its significant role in denaturation of 7S globulin and following formed aggregates and even in denaturation of 11S globulin. The amount ofβ-sheet structure in SPI had an inverse correlation with the surface hydrophobicity when the temperature was kept below 90°C. Besides,β-turn structure increased asβ-7S/B-11S aggregate formated.