Technological strategies to improve gelation properties of legume proteins with the focus on lupin

Effect of transglutaminase on gelation and functional proteins of mung bean protein isolate

This study aimed to improve mung bean protein's gelation qualities via microbial transglutaminase (mTGase) cross-linking. The mTGase treatment significantly improved gel hardness and storage modulus (G') at higher enzyme levels (2 IU/g), peaking hardness at 3 h. The scanning electron microscopy imaging demonstrated more cross-linked structures at 2 IU/g, evolving into a dense network by 3 h. The water-holding capacity for mTGase-treated samples (2 IU/g, 3 h, 55 °C) tripled to 3.77 ± 0.06 g/g versus control (1.24 ± 0.02 g/g), alongside a 15 % decrease in zeta potential (-30.84 ± 0.901 mV versus control's -26.63 ± 0.497 mV) and an increase in emulsifying activity index to 4.519 ± 0.004 m2/g from 3.79 ± 0.01 m2/g (control). The confocal images showed a more uniform lipid droplet distribution in mTGase-treated samples, suggesting enhanced emulsifying activity. Thus, mTGase treatment significantly improved gel strength and emulsifying properties, making it ideal for plant-based seafood products.

Effect of limited proteolysis and CaCl2 on the rheology, microstructure and in vitro digestibility of pea protein-carboxymethyl cellulose mixed gel

Limited proteolysis, CaCl2 and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) have individually demonstrated ability to increase the gel strength of laboratory-extracted plant proteins. However, the syneresis effects of their combination on the gelling capacity of commercial plant protein remains unclear. This was investigated by measuring the rheological property, microstructure and protein-protein interactions of gels formed from Alcalase hydrolyzed or intact pea proteins in the presence of 0.1 % CMC and 0-25 mM CaCl2. Sodium dodecyl-sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) showed the molecular weight of pea protein in the mixture were < 15 kDa after hydrolysis. The hydrolysates showed higher intrinsic fluorescence intensity and lower surface hydrophobicity than the intact proteins. Rheology showed that the storage modulus (G') of hydrolyzed pea protein (PPH)-based gels sightly decreased compared to those of native proteins. 5-15 mM CaCl2 increased the G' for both PP and PPH-based gels and decreased the strain in the creep-recovery test. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed the presence of smaller protein aggregates in the PPH-based gels compared to PP gels and the gel network became denser, and more compact and heterogenous in the presence of 15 and 25 mM CaCl2. The gel dissociation assay revealed that hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonds were the dominant forces to maintain the gel structure. In vitro digestion showed that the soluble protein content in PPH-based gels was 10 ∼ 30 % higher compared to those of the PP counterpart. CaCl2 addition reduced protein digestibility with a concentration dependent behavior. The results obtained show contrasting effects of limited proteolysis and CaCl2 on the gelling capacity and digestibility of commercial pea proteins. These findings offer practical guidelines for developing pea protein-based food products with a balanced texture and protein nutrition through formulation and enzymatic pre-treatment.

Effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the physicochemical, structural, functional, thermal, and rheological properties of mung bean (Vigna radiata) protein

Nitrogen fertilizer can affect the seed quality of mung bean. However, the effects of nitrogen fertilizer on the properties of mung bean protein (MBP) remain unclear. We investigated the effects of four nitrogen fertilization levels on the physicochemical, structural, functional, thermal, and rheological properties of MBP. The results showed that the amino acid and protein contents of mung bean flour were maximized under 90 kg ha-1 of applied nitrogen treatment. Nitrogen fertilization can alter the secondary and tertiary structure of MBP. The main manifestations are an increase in the proportion of β-sheet, the exposure of more chromophores and hydrophobic groups, and the formation of loose porous aggregates. These changes improved the solubility, oil absorption capacity, emulsion activity, and foaming stability of MBP. Meanwhile, Thermodynamic and rheological analyses showed that the thermal stability, apparent viscosity, and gel elasticity of MBP were all increased under nitrogen fertilizer treatment. Correlation analysis showed that protein properties are closely related to changes in structure. In conclusion, nitrogen fertilization can improve the protein properties of MBP by modulating the structure of protein molecules. This study provides a theoretical basis for the optimization of mung bean cultivation and the further development of high-quality mung bean protein foods.

Pulse Protein Isolates as Competitive Food Ingredients: Origin, Composition, Functionalities, and the State-of-the-Art Manufacturing

The ever-increasing world population and environmental stress are leading to surging demand for nutrient-rich food products with cleaner labeling and improved sustainability. Plant proteins, accordingly, are gaining enormous popularity compared with counterpart animal proteins in the food industry. While conventional plant protein sources, such as wheat and soy, cause concerns about their allergenicity, peas, beans, chickpeas, lentils, and other pulses are becoming important staples owing to their agronomic and nutritional benefits. However, the utilization of pulse proteins is still limited due to unclear pulse protein characteristics and the challenges of characterizing them from extensively diverse varieties within pulse crops. To address these challenges, the origins and compositions of pulse crops were first introduced, while an overarching description of pulse protein physiochemical properties, e.g., interfacial properties, aggregation behavior, solubility, etc., are presented. For further enhanced functionalities, appropriate modifications (including chemical, physical, and enzymatic treatment) are necessary. Among them, non-covalent complexation and enzymatic strategies are especially preferable during the value-added processing of clean-label pulse proteins for specific focus. This comprehensive review aims to provide an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the composition, structure, functional characteristics, and advanced modification strategies of pulse proteins, which is a pillar of high-performance pulse protein in future food manufacturing.

Application of ultrasound and its real-time monitoring of the acoustic field during processing of tofu: Parameter optimization, protein modification, and potential mechanism

Tofu is nutritious, easy to make, and popular among consumers. At present, traditional tofu production has gradually become perfect, but there are still shortcomings, such as long soaking time, serious waste of water resources, and the inability to realize orders for production at any time. Moreover, tofu production standards have not yet been clearly defined, with large differences in quality between them, which is not conducive to industrialized and large-scale production. Ultrasound has become a promising green processing technology with advantages, such as high extraction rate, short processing time, and ease of operation. This review focused on the challenges associated with traditional tofu production during soaking, grinding, and boiling soybeans. Moreover, the advantages of ultrasonic processing over traditional processing like increasing nutrient content, improving gel properties, and inhibiting the activity of microorganisms were explained. Furthermore, the quantification of acoustic fields by real-time monitoring technology was introduced to construct the theoretical correlation between ultrasonic treatments and tofu processing. It was concluded that ultrasonic treatment improved the functional properties of soybean protein, such as solubility, emulsifying properties, foamability, rheological properties, gel strength, and thermal stability. Therefore, the application of ultrasonic technology to traditional tofu processing to optimize industrial parameters is promising.

Legume protein/polysaccharide food hydrogels: Preparation methods, improvement strategies and applications

For the development of innovative foods and nutritional fortification, research into food gel is essential. As two types of rich natural gel material, both legume proteins and polysaccharides have high nutritional value and excellent application potential, attracting wide attention worldwide. Research has focused on combining legume proteins with polysaccharides to form hybrid hydrogels as their combinations show improved texture and water retention compared to single legume protein or single polysaccharide gels, and these properties can be tailored for specific applications. This article reviews hydrogels of common legume proteins and discusses heat induction, pH induction, salt ion induction, and enzyme-induced assembly of legume protein/polysaccharide mixtures. The applications of these hydrogels in fat replacement, satiety enhancement, and delivery of bioactive ingredients are discussed. Challenges for future work are also highlighted.

Consumer Perception and Acceptability of Lupin-Derived Products: A Systematic Review

The addition of lupin into other foods can enhance their nutritional value and may be an acceptable approach to introducing lupin into the food supply, particularly as an ingredient. Lupin could be used in many food products (bakery products, pasta, beverages, meat products and dairy products) to improve their protein content and possible nutraceutical effects. The main aim of this study is to summarise the recent formulation trends with lupin as an ingredient of new food products based on consumer perception and acceptability. The present systematic literature review was conducted through the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The eligibility criteria for the articles to be considered were: (a) the manufacturing of a food product with lupin as a formulation ingredient; (b) the food product developed was tested by a sensorial panel. A total of 33 studies filled the inclusion criteria and were incorporated into the qualitative synthesis. The sensory analysis of each product was notoriously different based on the jury evaluators and measurement scales used but revealed high acceptability rates for possible future consumers. The high protein and fibre contents of lupin were the most cited reason associated with the importance of nutrient-rich food products for consumers. More research on foods with high nutrition profiles and well-established sustainability parameters is crucial to promote healthier food environments.

Legume Protein Extracts: The Relevance of Physical Processing in the Context of Structural, Techno-Functional and Nutritional Aspects of Food Development

Legumes are sustainable protein-rich crops with numerous industrial food applications, which give them the potential of a functional food ingredient. Legume proteins have appreciable techno-functional properties (e.g., emulsification, foaming, water absorption), which could be affected along with its digestibility during processing. Extraction and isolation of legumes’ protein content makes their use more efficient; however, exposure to the conditions of further use (such as temperature and pressure) results in, and significantly increases, changes in the structural, and therefore functional and nutritional, properties. The present review focuses on the quality of legume protein concentrates and their changes under the influence of different physical processing treatments and highlights the effect of processing techniques on the structural, functional, and some of the nutritional, properties of legume proteins.

Valorization of Local Legumes and Nuts as Key Components of the Mediterranean Diet

Legumes and nuts are components of high importance in the diet of many countries, mainly those in the Mediterranean region. They are also very versatile and culturally diverse foods found all over the world, acting as a basic protein source in certain countries. Their genetic diversity is needed to sustain the food supply and security for humans and livestock, especially because of the current loss of habitats, species, and genetic diversity worldwide, but also because of the ever present need to feed the increasing human population. Even though both legumes and nuts are considered as high-protein food and environmentally friendly crops, developed countries have lower consumption rates when compared to Asia or Africa. With a view to increasing the consumption of legumes and nuts, the objective of this review is to present the advantages on the use of autochthonous varieties from different countries around the world, thus providing a boost to the local market in the area. The consumption of these varieties could be helped by their use in ready-to-eat foods (RTE), which are now on the rise thanks to today's fast-paced lifestyles and the search for more nutritious and sustainable foods. The versatility of legumes and nuts covers a wide range of possibilities through their use in plant-based dairy analogues, providing alternative-protein and maximal amounts of nutrients and bioactive compounds, potential plant-based flours for bakery and pasta, and added-value traditional RTE meals. For this reason, information about legume and nut nutrition could possibly increase its acceptance with consumers.

A combined approach for modifying pea protein isolate to greatly improve its solubility and emulsifying stability

Pea protein-based delivery systems have drawn much attention in the food and pharmaceutical fields in recent years. However, its broad application faces great limitations because of the low solubility. Here, we present a novel and effective approach to overcome this difficulty and enhance the techno-functional characteristics, especially emulsifying stability, of the pea protein isolate (PPI). By combining pH-shifting with ultrasound and heating (PUH), we concluded that the solubility of PPI greatly increased from 29.5 % to 90.4 %, whereas its surface hydrophobicity increased from 1098 to 3706. This was accompanied by the changes of PPI structure, as shown by circular dichroism and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the modified PPI was applied to stabilize sunflower oil-in-water emulsions. The droplet size of the emulsion with PUHP was reduced and its emulsion stability was significantly elevated. Taken together, we propose a novel combined approach to prepare modified PPI with high solubility and emulsion stability. We expect our method will have a wider application in modifying plant proteins and improving their industrial processing.

Plant Protein-Based Delivery Systems: An Emerging Approach for Increasing the Efficacy of Lipophilic Bioactive Compounds

The development of plant protein-based delivery systems to protect and control lipophilic bioactive compound delivery (such as vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, polyunsaturated fatty acids) has increased interest in food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical fields. The quite significant ascension of plant proteins from legumes, oil/edible seeds, nuts, tuber, and cereals is motivated by their eco-friendly, sustainable, and healthy profile compared with other sources. However, many challenges need to be overcome before their widespread use as raw material for carriers. Thus, modification approaches have been used to improve their techno-functionality and address their limitations, aiming to produce a new generation of plant-based carriers (hydrogels, emulsions, self-assembled structures, films). This paper addresses the advantages and challenges of using plant proteins and the effects of modification methods on their nutritional quality, bioactivity, and techno-functionalities. Furthermore, we review the recent progress in designing plant protein-based delivery systems, their main applications as carriers for lipophilic bioactive compounds, and the contribution of protein-bioactive compound interactions to the dynamics and structure of delivery systems. Expressive advances have been made in the plant protein area; however, new extraction/purification technologies and protein sources need to be found Their functional properties must also be deeply studied for the rational development of effective delivery platforms.

Extraction, purification by cation exchange supermacroporous cryogel and physico-chemical characterization of γ-conglutin from lupin seeds (Lupinus albus L.)

This study focused on the extraction, purification, and physicochemical characterization of γ-conglutin, a protein present in lupin seeds with properties of reducing blood glucose levels. Total protein was extracted with an alkaline-saline solvent, followed by isoelectric precipitation. Chromatographic purification of the precipitated fraction was performed using a cation exchange supermacroporous cryogel column. Electrophoresis of the eluted fraction from chromatography presented a single band of ∼48 kDa under non-reducing conditions (two bands of ∼30 and ∼17 kDa, under reducing conditions) confirming the success of the purification protocol. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the identity of the protein as γ-conglutin. The purified γ-conglutin had an isoelectric point of 7.51, β-sheets prevailing as a secondary structure, and denaturation temperature close to 68°C. The outcome of this work showed that γ-conglutin was obtained with a high degree of purity. The proposed purification protocol is simple and can be easily scaled up.