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Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties
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Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2023) | Viewed by 10560

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Gang Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
Interests: protein; glycation; self-assembly; heat stability; interaction; emulsion; bioactive delivery; digestion
Prof. Dr. Yue Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Biotechnology, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
Interests: food macromolecules; food physical chemistry; food nanotechnology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Weiping Jin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Food Science and Engineering, Wuhan Polytechnic University, Wuhan 430023, China
Interests: extraction, modification and functionalization of plant protein; protein-polysaccharide interaction

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

With the development of food processing technology, protein has gradually become an important ingredient in the manufacture of functional foods. Functional properties in food protein are affected by physical and chemical properties during processing, storage, preparation, and consumption. The denaturation or aggregation of proteins under environmental conditions greatly affects their applications in the food industry. Therefore, one of the major emerging technologies is modification of protein structure to obtain tunable functional properties with greater structural stability. In recent years, many fundamental and applied research advances have been achieved to explore innovative applications in food proteins, including synthesis of protein fibers, preparation of protein-based emulsions, discovery of self-assembly behaviors and interfacial properties, new understanding on protein digestion and biological fate, as well as the production of artificial meat from plant proteins.

This Special Issue aims to collect recent fundamental and applied research advances related to the abovementioned topics, thus, contributing to the development of food protein theory and new technology.

Prof. Dr. Gang Liu
Prof. Dr. Yue Zhang
Dr. Weiping Jin
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • food protein
  • structure
  • digestion
  • functional properties

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 9322 KiB  
Article
Comparative Study on Hydrolysis, Physicochemical and Antioxidant Properties in Simulated Digestion System between Cooked Pork and Fish Meat
by Yuhan Chen, Hanzhi Jing, Shanbai Xiong, Anne Manyande and Hongying Du
Foods 2023, 12(9), 1757; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12091757 - 23 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2132
Abstract
Pork and grass carp are commonly consumed animal protein sources, classified as red meat and white meat, respectively. This study aimed to better understand the differences in digestive behavior, nutrition, and functionality during digestion between these two types of meat after fat removal. [...] Read more.
Pork and grass carp are commonly consumed animal protein sources, classified as red meat and white meat, respectively. This study aimed to better understand the differences in digestive behavior, nutrition, and functionality during digestion between these two types of meat after fat removal. The results showed that grass carp was more easily digested than pork, with a higher degree of hydrolysis, a smaller protein particle size, and a greater release of oligopeptides and amino acids (p < 0.05). During gastric digestion, all α-helix structures were destroyed, and the effect of the whole digestion process on the secondary and tertiary structure of pork protein was greater than that of grass carp. The antioxidant properties of the digestive fluids from the two types of meat showed different strengths in various assays, but the correlation analysis revealed that TCA-soluble peptides, random coil content, and particle size significantly influenced both types of meat. These findings provide new insights into the structural state and antioxidant properties of protein in meat digestion, which contribute to our understanding of the nutritional value of pork and grass carp. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties)
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12 pages, 3589 KiB  
Article
pH Effect on the Structure, Rheology, and Electrospinning of Maize Zein
by Yuehan Wu, Jinhui Du, Jiahan Zhang, Yanlei Li and Zhiming Gao
Foods 2023, 12(7), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12071395 - 25 Mar 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1789
Abstract
As a simple and convenient technology to fabricate micron-to-nanoscale fibers with controllable structure, electrostatic spinning has produced fiber films with many natural advantages, including a large specific surface area and high porosity. Maize zein, as a major storage protein in corn, showed high [...] Read more.
As a simple and convenient technology to fabricate micron-to-nanoscale fibers with controllable structure, electrostatic spinning has produced fiber films with many natural advantages, including a large specific surface area and high porosity. Maize zein, as a major storage protein in corn, showed high hydrophobicity and has been successfully applied as a promising carrier for encapsulation and controlled release in the pharmaceutical and food areas. Proteins exhibit different physical and chemical properties at different pH values, and it is worth investigating whether this change in physical and chemical properties affects the properties of electrospun fiber films. We studied the pH effects on zein solution rheology, fiber morphology, and film properties. Rotational rheometers were used to test the rheology of the solutions and establish a correlation between solution concentration and fiber morphology. The critical concentrations calculated by the cross-equation fitting model were 17.6%, 20.1%, 20.1%, 17.1%, and 19.5% (w/v) for pH 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, respectively. The secondary structure of zein changed with the variation in solution pH. Furthermore, we analyzed the physical properties of the zein films. The contact angles of the fiber membranes prepared with different pH spinning solutions were all above 100, while zein films formed by solvent evaporation showed hydrophilic properties. The results indicated that the rheological properties of zein solutions and the surface properties of the film were affected by the pH value. This study showed that zein solutions can be stabilized to form electrospun fibers at a variety of pH levels and offered new opportunities to further enhance the encapsulation activity of zein films for bioactive materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties)
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18 pages, 2747 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Gum Arabic–Maltose–Pea Protein Isolate Complexes for 1−Octacosanol Microcapsule: Improved Storage Stability, Sustained Release in the Gastrointestinal Tract, and Its Effect on the Lipid Metabolism of High−Fat−Diet−Induced Obesity Mice
by Yin-Yi Ding, Yuxiang Pan, Wanyue Zhang, Yijing Sheng, Yanyun Cao, Zhenyu Gu, Qing Shen, Qingcheng Wang and Xi Chen
Foods 2023, 12(1), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods12010112 - 26 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1995
Abstract
1-Octacosanol (Octa) is a natural compound with several beneficial properties. However, its poor water solubility and metabolism in the digestive tract reduce its efficacy. The Octa-GA-Malt-PPI microcapsule was prepared as follows: gum Arabic (GA):maltose (Malt):pea protein isolate (PPI) = 2:1:2; core:shell = 1:7.5; [...] Read more.
1-Octacosanol (Octa) is a natural compound with several beneficial properties. However, its poor water solubility and metabolism in the digestive tract reduce its efficacy. The Octa-GA-Malt-PPI microcapsule was prepared as follows: gum Arabic (GA):maltose (Malt):pea protein isolate (PPI) = 2:1:2; core:shell = 1:7.5; emulsification temperature 70 °C; pH 9.0. An in vitro simulated gastrointestinal tract was used to analyze the digestion behavior. C57BL/6 mice were selected to establish an obesity model induced by a high-fat diet (HFD) to evaluate the effect of Octa monomer and the microcapsule. The diffusivity in water and storage stability of Octa improved after encapsulation. The microcapsule was ascribed to electrostatic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and hydrophobic interactions. The sustained release of Octa from the microcapsule was observed in a simulated gastrointestinal tract. Compared with Octa monomer, the microcapsule was more effective in alleviating the symptoms of weight gain, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia induced by HFD in mice. In conclusion, the construction of microcapsule structure can improve the dispersibility and stability of Octa in water, achieve sustained release of Octa in the gastrointestinal tract, and improve its efficiency in alleviating the effects of HFD on the body. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties)
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12 pages, 3896 KiB  
Article
Structural Transitions of Alpha-Amylase Treated with Pulsed Electric Fields: Effect of Coexisting Carrageenan
by Junzhu Li, Jiayu Zhang, Chen Li, Wenjing Huang, Cheng Guo, Weiping Jin and Wangyang Shen
Foods 2022, 11(24), 4112; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11244112 - 19 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1488
Abstract
Pulsed electric field (PEF) is an effective way to modulate the structure and activity of enzymes; however, the dynamic changes in enzyme structure during this process, especially the intermediate state, remain unclear. In this study, the molten globule (MG) state of α-amylase under [...] Read more.
Pulsed electric field (PEF) is an effective way to modulate the structure and activity of enzymes; however, the dynamic changes in enzyme structure during this process, especially the intermediate state, remain unclear. In this study, the molten globule (MG) state of α-amylase under PEF processing was investigated using intrinsic fluorescence, surface hydrophobicity, circular dichroism, etc. Meanwhile, the influence of coexisting carrageenan on the structural transition of α-amylase during PEF processing was evaluated. When the electric field strength was 20 kV/cm, α-amylase showed the unique characteristics of an MG state, which retained the secondary structure, changed the tertiary structure, and increased surface hydrophobicity (from 240 to 640). The addition of carrageenan effectively protected the enzyme activity of α-amylase during PEF treatment. When the mixed ratio of α-amylase to carrageenan was 10:1, they formed electrostatic complexes with a size of ~20 nm, and carrageenan inhibited the increase in surface hydrophobicity (<600) and aggregation (<40 nm) of α-amylase after five cycles of PEF treatment. This work clarifies the influence of co-existing polysaccharides on the intermediate state of proteins during PEF treatment and provides a strategy to modulate protein structure by adding polysaccharides during food processing. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties)
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13 pages, 4016 KiB  
Article
Carrageenan-Based Pickering Emulsion Gels Stabilized by Xanthan Gum/Lysozyme Nanoparticle: Microstructure, Rheological, and Texture Perspective
by Tianzhen Xiong, Haomin Sun, Ziyi Niu, Wei Xu, Zhifan Li, Yawen He, Denglin Luo, Wenjie Xi, Jingjing Wei and Chunlan Zhang
Foods 2022, 11(23), 3757; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods11233757 - 22 Nov 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2231
Abstract
In this study, Pickering emulsion gels were prepared by the self-gel method based on kappa carrageenan (kC). The effects of particle stabilizers and polysaccharide concentrations on the microstructure, rheological characteristics, and texture of Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by xanthan gum/lysozyme nanoparticles (XG/Ly NPs) [...] Read more.
In this study, Pickering emulsion gels were prepared by the self-gel method based on kappa carrageenan (kC). The effects of particle stabilizers and polysaccharide concentrations on the microstructure, rheological characteristics, and texture of Pickering emulsion gels stabilized by xanthan gum/lysozyme nanoparticles (XG/Ly NPs) with kC were discussed. The viscoelasticity of Pickering emulsion gels increased significantly with the increase of kC and XG/Ly NPs. The results of temperature sweep showed that the gel formation mainly depended on the kC addition. The XG/Ly NPs addition could accelerate the formation of Pickering emulsion gels and increase its melting temperature (Tmelt), which is helpful to improve the thermal stability of emulsion gels. Cryo-scanning electron microscope (Cryo-SEM) images revealed that Pickering emulsion gel has a porous network structure, and the oil droplets were well wrapped in the pores. The hardness increased significantly with the increase of XG/Ly NPs and kC. In particular, the Pickering emulsion gel hardness was up to 2.9 Newton (N) when the concentration of kC and XG/Ly NPs were 2%. The results showed that self-gelling polysaccharides, such as kC, could construct and regulate the structure and characteristics of Pickering emulsion gel. This study provides theoretical support for potential new applications of emulsion gels as functional colloids and delivery systems in the food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Food Protein: Structure, Digestion, and Functional Properties)
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