Developments in Plant Proteins Production for Meat and Fish Analogues

Composite hydrogels assembled from food-grade biopolymers: Fabrication, properties, and applications

Biopolymer hydrogels have a broad range of applications as soft materials in a variety of commercial products, including foods, cosmetics, agrochemicals, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, and biomedical products. They consist of a network of entangled or crosslinked biopolymer molecules that traps relatively large quantities of water and provides semi-solid properties, like viscoelasticity or plasticity. Composite biopolymer hydrogels contain inclusions (fillers) to enhance their functional properties, including solid particles, liquid droplets, gas bubbles, nanofibers, or biological cells. These fillers vary in their composition, size, shape, rheology, and surface properties, which influences their impact on the rheological properties of the biopolymer hydrogels. In this article, the various types of biopolymers used to fabricate composite hydrogels are reviewed, with an emphasis on edible proteins and polysaccharides from sustainable sources, such as plants, algae, or microbial fermentation. The different kinds of gelling mechanism exhibited by these biopolymers are then discussed, including heat-, cold-, ion-, pH-, enzyme-, and pressure-set mechanisms. The different ways that biopolymer molecules can organize themselves in single and mixed biopolymer hydrogels are then highlighted, including polymeric, particulate, interpenetrating, phase-separated, and co-gelling systems. The impacts of incorporating fillers on the rheological properties of composite biopolymer hydrogels are then discussed, including mathematical models that have been developed to describe these effects. Finally, potential applications of composite biopolymer hydrogels are presented, including as delivery systems, packaging materials, artificial tissues, wound healing materials, meat analogs, filters, and adsorbents. The information provided in this article is intended to stimulate further research into the development and application of composite biopolymer hydrogels.

Food Proteins as Functional Ingredients in the Management of Chronic Diseases: A Concise Review

Chronic diseases have emerged as a formidable global health concern, with their prevalence steadily rising over the years. Several approaches to addressing these concerns include the use of medications, which are often expensive, contain synthetic chemical substances, and have reported adverse effects. The use of foods, especially proteins, as an alternative approach to addressing chronic health concerns by treating and managing chronic diseases is increasing. This review evaluates the intriguing role of food proteins in mitigating chronic diseases and improving our understanding of the therapeutic potential of different protein types, including those derived from legumes, nuts, and seeds, dairy, fish, and numerous other sources. They have been reported to offer promising avenues for managing chronic diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic inflammation, weight management, bone health, glycemic control, muscle preservation, and many other health benefits. Although the exact mechanisms for these actions are still not properly elucidated, it is, however, understood that food proteins exert these health-beneficial effects by their unique nutritional and bioactive profiles, especially their bioactive peptides and amino acids. Practical applications are also discussed, including dietary interventions that are tailored towards incorporating protein-rich foods and the development of functional foods for disease prevention and management. Food proteins are a promising approach to combating chronic diseases that can turn around public health practices.

Effect of dual modifications with ultrasonication and succinylation on Cicer arietinum protein-iron complexes: Characterization, digestibility, in-vitro cellular mineral uptake and preparation of fortified smoothie

The research aimed to evaluate the effect of ultrasonication and succinylation on the functional, iron binding, physiochemical, and cellular mineral uptake efficacy of chickpea protein concentrate. Succinylation resulted in significant improvements in the water-holding capacity (WHC) (25.47 %), oil-holding capacity (OHC) (31.38 %), and solubility (5.80 %) of the chickpea protein-iron complex. Mineral bioavailability significantly increased by 4.41 %, and there was a significant increase in cellular mineral uptake (64.64 %), retention (36.68 %), and transport (27.96 %). The ferritin content of the succinylated chickpea protein-iron complex showed a substantial increase of 66.31%. Furthermore, the dual modification approach combining ultrasonication and succinylation reduced the particle size of the protein-iron complex with a substantial reduction of 83.25 %. It also resulted in a significant enhancement of 51.5 % in the SH (sulfhydryl) content and 48.92 % in the surface hydrophobicity. Mineral bioavailability and cellular mineral uptake, retention, and transport were further enhanced through dual modification. In terms of application, the addition of single and dual-modified chickpea protein-iron complex to a fruit-based smoothie demonstrated positive acceptance in sensory attributes. Overall, the combined approach of succinylation and ultrasonication to the chickpea protein-iron complex shows a promising strategy for enhancing the physiochemical and techno-functional characteristics, cellular mineral uptake, and the development of vegan food products.

Dietary protein levels during 12 to 26 wk improve the growth performance, bone quality, and testosterone in Pearl Gray male guinea fowl (Numida meleagris)

Guinea fowl (Numida meleagris), although native to Africa and despite its many potentials, does not represent the dominant species on the continent because of its seasonal reproductive nature and high keets mortality. This study was conducted to assess the effect of crude protein levels on growth performance, bone characteristics and reproductive activity of Pearl Gray male breeder guinea fowl from 12 to 26 wk of age. A total of 120 twelve-wk-old guinea fowls were randomly allotted to 3 dietary treatments with 8 replicates each and 5 birds per replicate using a completely randomized design. The dietary treatments comprised low level (LL), normal level (NL), and high level (HL) with diets respectively containing 15, 17, and 19% crude protein (CP). The results showed that guinea fowl in the HL treatment had a significantly lower feed conversion ratio (P = 0.008) than those in the other treatments. The birds fed the HL diet had significantly higher concentrations of testosterone (P < 0.05) than in the other treatments. High levels of calcium and phosphorus were observed in the femur of the HL group relative to the LL group. The birds in the LL treatment had a significantly higher (P = 0.007) femur robusticity index than those in the HL treatment. In conclusion, feeding 19% crude protein to Pearl Gray male guinea fowl from 12 to 26 wk of age improves growth performance, the density and strength of the femur and tibia and the reproductive tract. The CP level for the best performance of male guinea fowl from 12 to 26 wk of age is 19%.

Challenges and Prospects of Plant-Protein-Based 3D Printing

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a rapidly developing additive manufacturing technique consisting of the deposition of materials layer-by-layer to produce physical 3D structures. The technique offers unique opportunities to design and produce new products that cater to consumer experience and nutritional requirements. In the past two decades, a wide range of materials, especially plant-protein-based materials, have been documented for the development of personalized food owing to their nutritional and environmental benefits. Despite these benefits, 3D printing with plant-protein-based materials present significant challenges because there is a lack of a comprehensive study that takes into account the most relevant aspects of the processes involved in producing plant-protein-based printable items. This review takes into account the multi-dimensional aspects of processes that lead to the formulation of successful printable products which includes an understanding of rheological characteristics of plant proteins and 3D-printing parameters, as well as elucidating the appropriate concentration and structural hierarchy that are required to maintain stability of the substrate after printing. This review also highlighted the significant and most recent research on 3D food printing with a wide range of plant proteins. This review also suggests a future research direction of 3D printing with plant proteins.

Effects of Food Factors and Processing on Protein Digestibility and Gut Microbiota

Protein is an essential macronutrient. The nutritional needs of dietary proteins are met by digestion and absorption in the small intestine. Indigestible proteins are further metabolized in the gut and produce metabolites via protein fermentation. Thus, protein indigestibility exerts a wide range of effects on gut microbiota composition and function. This review aims to discuss protein digestibility, the effects of food factors, such as protein sources, intake level, and amino acid composition, and making meat analogues. Besides, it provides an inventory of antinutritional factors and processing techniques that influence protein digestibility and, consequently, the diversity and composition of intestinal microbiota. Future studies are warranted to understand the implication of plant-based analogues on protein digestibility and gut microbiota and to elucidate the mechanisms concerning protein digestibility to host gut microbiota using various omics techniques.

Updates on Plant-Based Protein Products as an Alternative to Animal Protein: Technology, Properties, and Their Health Benefits

Plant-based protein products, represented by "plant meat", are gaining more and more popularity as an alternative to animal proteins. In the present review, we aimed to update the current status of research and industrial growth of plant-based protein products, including plant-based meat, plant-based eggs, plant-based dairy products, and plant-based protein emulsion foods. Moreover, the common processing technology of plant-based protein products and its principles, as well as the emerging strategies, are given equal importance. The knowledge gap between the use of plant proteins and animal proteins is also described, such as poor functional properties, insufficient texture, low protein biomass, allergens, and off-flavors, etc. Furthermore, the nutritional and health benefits of plant-based protein products are highlighted. Lately, researchers are committed to exploring novel plant protein resources and high-quality proteins with enhanced properties through the latest scientific and technological interventions, including physical, chemical, enzyme, fermentation, germination, and protein interaction technology.