Oxidative cross-linking of potato proteins by fungal laccases: Reaction kinetics and effects on the structural and functional properties

Improving the functionality of pea protein with laccase-catalyzed crosslinking mediated by chlorogenic acid

The influences of laccase-catalyzed crosslinking on the structural, emulsifying and gelling properties of pea protein with chlorogenic acid were intensively probed. Molecular weight analysis illustrated the formation of pea protein aggregates by laccase-induced polymerization in the presence of chlorogenic acid and the increase of incubation time facilitated the aggregation. Particle size of pea protein-laccase-chlorogenic acid progressively enhanced increasing incubation time. Laccase-induced polymerization possessed remarkable impacts on the secondary and tertiary structure of pea protein, confirmed by circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy. Surface hydrophobicity of pea protein appreciably enhanced with laccase-induced crosslinking due to the exposure of interior hydrophobic amino acid residues. Emulsifying activity, emulsifying capacity, gel strength, and water-holding capacity of pea protein can be considerably enhanced with laccase-catalyzed crosslinking with chlorogenic acid, suggesting excellent functionalities for pea protein were accomplished after being modified by laccase with chlorogenic acid. The obtained information will widen pea protein's application in food systems.

Enhancing the Physicochemical Attributes of Dough and Noodles through the Incorporation of Bacillus vallismortis Laccase

This investigation examined how the Bacillus vallismortis laccase (rBVL-MRL522) influenced the physicochemical characteristics, structural attributes, and functional capabilities of both dough and noodles. Incorporating rBVL-MRL522 (1 U/g) did not lead to a substantial change in the water absorption of wheat flour. However, the introduction of rBVL-MRL522 caused a significant elongation in the formation time of wheat flour dough, extending it by 88.9%, and also resulted in a 50% increase in the stabilization duration of wheat flour dough. Furthermore, adding rBVL-MRL522 led to a proportional rise in both the elastic and viscous moduli (G'' of the dough, signifying that r-BVL (rBVL-MRL522) has a beneficial effect on the gluten strength of the dough. Integrating rBVL-MRL522 promoted the consolidation of the gluten-based cross-linked structure within the dough, decreasing the size of starch particles and, more evenly, the dispersion of these starch particles. In the noodle processing, adding rBVL-MRL522 at a rate of 1 U/g raised the L* value of the noodles by 2.34 units compared to the noodles prepared without the inclusion of rBVL-MRL522. Using a greater amount of rBVL-MRL522 (2 U/g) substantially increased the hardness of the noodles by 51.31%. Additionally, rBVL-MRL522 showed a noteworthy enhancement in the elasticity, cohesiveness, and chewiness of the noodles. In conclusion, rBVL-MRL522 promoted the cross-linking gluten, leading to a more extensive and condensed three-dimensional network structure in raw and cooked noodles. As a result, this study offers valuable insights into the environmentally friendly processing of dough and associated products.

Physical, Chemical and Biochemical Modification Approaches of Potato (Peel) Constituents for Bio-Based Food Packaging Concepts: A Review

Potatoes are grown in large quantities and are mainly used as food or animal feed. Potato processing generates a large amount of side streams, which are currently low value by-products of the potato processing industry. The utilization of the potato peel side stream and other potato residues is also becoming increasingly important from a sustainability point of view. Individual constituents of potato peel or complete potato tubers can for instance be used for application in other products such as bio-based food packaging. Prior using constituents for specific applications, their properties and characteristics need to be known and understood. This article extensively reviews the scientific literature about physical, chemical, and biochemical modification of potato constituents. Besides short explanations about the modification techniques, extensive summaries of the results from scientific articles are outlined focusing on the main constituents of potatoes, namely potato starch and potato protein. The effects of the different modification techniques are qualitatively interpreted in tables to obtain a condensed overview about the influence of different modification techniques on the potato constituents. Overall, this article provides an up-to-date and comprehensive overview of the possibilities and implications of modifying potato components for potential further valorization in, e.g., bio-based food packaging.

Fungal Laccases: The Forefront of Enzymes for Sustainability

Enzymatic catalysis is one of the main pillars of sustainability for industrial production. Enzyme application allows minimization of the use of toxic solvents and to valorize the agro-industrial residues through reuse. In addition, they are safe and energy efficient. Nonetheless, their use in biotechnological processes is still hindered by the cost, stability, and low rate of recycling and reuse. Among the many industrial enzymes, fungal laccases (LCs) are perfect candidates to serve as a biotechnological tool as they are outstanding, versatile catalytic oxidants, only requiring molecular oxygen to function. LCs are able to degrade phenolic components of lignin, allowing them to efficiently reuse the lignocellulosic biomass for the production of enzymes, bioactive compounds, or clean energy, while minimizing the use of chemicals. Therefore, this review aims to give an overview of fungal LC, a promising green and sustainable enzyme, its mechanism of action, advantages, disadvantages, and solutions for its use as a tool to reduce the environmental and economic impact of industrial processes with a particular insight on the reuse of agro-wastes.