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Gels
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Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications
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Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications

A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 April 2024) | Viewed by 8230

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Qiang Wang

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: plant protein; functional properties; gel structural analysis; gel processing methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Jinchuang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: plant protein; extrusion technology; gel structural analysis; plant-based foods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-based foods are foods made from raw plant materials (including algae and fungi) or their products as sources of protein, fat, etc., through a certain process, with or without other ingredients with a similar texture, flavor, morphology or other quality characteristics of some animal-derived foods. Consumers globally are increasingly interested in plant-based foods for health, improved nutrition, environmental sustainability and animal welfare consideration. From 2017 to 2019, the sale of plant-based foods grew by nearly 29%, and the market value reached about USD 4.98 billion. Many commercial products have been developed, including plant-based meat products, plant-based dairy products, plant-based egg products, plant-based frozen drinks and ingredients, and other plant-based foods. Gels are polymeric materials that combine large amounts of water, air, or oil in their 3D networks and are widely used in the field of food. Gels made from proteins, polysaccharides and lipids play a significant role in the quality improvement of plant-based foods. A comprehensive exploration of the network structure, gelation mechanism and design of gels in plant-based foods is needed to construct plant-based foods with particular physicochemical, functional, and sensory properties. Thus, this Special Issue focuses on “Gels for Plant-based Food Applications”, including a wide range of gel processing methods, gel structural analysis, gel property characterization, plant-based food application, low and high-moisture extrusion technology, shear cell technology, self-assembly, spinning (wet-spinning and electrospinning) and freeze-casting.

Prof. Dr. Qiang Wang
Dr. Jinchuang Zhang
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. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 2600 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

  • proteins
  • polysaccharides
  • lipids
  • gel structural analysis
  • gel properties characterization
  • characterization methods
  • extrusion technology (especially high-moisture extrusion)
  • plant-based foods
  • quality improvement

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 3386 KiB  
Article
Conjugation of Soybean Proteins 7S/11S Isolate with Glucose/Fructose in Gels through Wet-Heating Maillard Reaction
by Jalal Ud Din, He Li, You Li, Xinqi Liu and Sam Al-Dalali
Gels 2024, 10(4), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10040237 - 29 Mar 2024
Viewed by 527
Abstract
Conjugation with glucose (G) and fructose (F) via the Maillard reaction under the wet-heating condition is a natural and non-toxic method of improving the technological functions of 7S/11S proteins in different kinds of gels. It may be used as an affordable supply of [...] Read more.
Conjugation with glucose (G) and fructose (F) via the Maillard reaction under the wet-heating condition is a natural and non-toxic method of improving the technological functions of 7S/11S proteins in different kinds of gels. It may be used as an affordable supply of emulsifiers and an excellent encapsulating matrix for gels. This study aimed to create a glucose/fructose-conjugated 7S/11S soy protein via the Maillard reaction. The conjugation was confirmed by determining the SDS-PAGE profile and circular dichroism spectra. In addition, these conjugates were comprehensively characterized in terms of grafting degree, browning degree, sulfhydryl content, surface hydrophobicity (H0), and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) through various reaction times (0, 24, 48, and 72 h) to evaluate their ability to be used in food gels. The functional characteristics of the 7S/11S isolate–G/F conjugate formed at 70 °C, with a high degree of glycosylation and browning, were superior to those obtained at other reaction times. The SDS-PAGE profile indicated that the conjugation between the 7S and 11S proteins and carbohydrate sources of G and F through the Maillard reaction occurred. Secondary structural results revealed that covalent interactions with G and F affected the secondary structural components of 7S/11S proteins, leading to increased random coils. When exposed to moist heating conditions, G and F have significant potential for protein alteration through the Maillard reaction. The results of this study may provide new insights into protein modification and establish the theoretical basis for the therapeutic application of both G and F conjugation with soy proteins in different food matrixes and gels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications)
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16 pages, 9800 KiB  
Article
Quality, Thermo-Rheology, and Microstructure Characteristics of Cubic Fat Substituted Pork Patties with Composite Emulsion Gel Composed of Konjac Glucomannan and Soy Protein Isolate
by Lai Wei, Yuqing Ren, Lu Huang, Xinnan Ye, He Li, Jian Li, Jinnuo Cao and Xinqi Liu
Gels 2024, 10(2), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10020111 - 31 Jan 2024
Viewed by 981
Abstract
Composite emulsion gel can effectively mimic animal adipose tissue. In this study, composite emulsion gels composed of soy protein isolates and konjac glucomannan (KGM) were prepared as plant-based cubic fat substitutes (CFS). The effects of CFS on the quality and structure of pork [...] Read more.
Composite emulsion gel can effectively mimic animal adipose tissue. In this study, composite emulsion gels composed of soy protein isolates and konjac glucomannan (KGM) were prepared as plant-based cubic fat substitutes (CFS). The effects of CFS on the quality and structure of pork patties were investigated in terms of the proximate composition, lipid oxidation stability, technological characteristics, color, sensory attributes, texture, thermo-rheological behavior, and microstructure. CFS samples composed of various ratios of KGM were added to lean meat patties to ascertain the optimal CFS composition for its potential replacement of pork back fat in patties. The addition of CFS containing 7.0% KGM was found to decrease the hardness of the lean meat patties by 71.98% while simultaneously improving their sensory quality. The replacement of pork back fat with CFS also reduced the fat content of the patties to as little as 3.65%. Furthermore, the addition of CFS enhanced the technological characteristics, lipid oxidation stability, and surface color of the fat-replaced patties, with no significant impact on their overall acceptability. The gel network of the patties was shown to be fine and remained compact as the fat replacement ratio increased to 75%, while the texture parameters, storage modulus, and fractal dimension all increased. Quality and structure improvements may allow the composite emulsion gels to replace fat in pork patties to support a healthy diet. This study may be beneficial for the application and development of plant-based cubic fat substitutes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications)
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14 pages, 3839 KiB  
Article
Texturing of Soy Yoghurt Alternatives: Pectin Microgel Particles Serve as Inactive Fillers and Weaken the Soy Protein Gel Structure
by Gabriela Itziar Saavedra Isusi, Johannes Marburger, Nils Lohner and Ulrike S. van der Schaaf
Gels 2023, 9(6), 473; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9060473 - 08 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1265
Abstract
Soy-based yoghurt alternatives were highly requested by consumers over the last few years. However, their texture does not always fulfil consumers’ demands as such yoghurt alternatives are often perceived as too firm or too soft, sandy, or fibrous. In order to improve the [...] Read more.
Soy-based yoghurt alternatives were highly requested by consumers over the last few years. However, their texture does not always fulfil consumers’ demands as such yoghurt alternatives are often perceived as too firm or too soft, sandy, or fibrous. In order to improve the texture, fibres, for example, in the form of microgel particles (MGP), can be added to the soy matrix. MGP are expected to interact with soy proteins, creating different microstructures and, thus, different gel properties after fermentation. In this study, pectin-based MGP were added in different sizes and concentrations, and the soy gel properties after fermentation were characterised. It was found that the addition of 1 wt.% MGP influenced neither the flow behaviour nor the tribological/lubrication properties of the soy matrix, regardless of the MGP size. However, at higher MGP concentrations (3 and 5 wt.%), the viscosity and yield stress were reduced, the gel strength and cross-linking density decreased, and the water-holding capacity was reduced. At 5 wt.%, strong and visible phase separation occurred. Thus, it can be concluded that apple pectin-based MGP serve as inactive fillers in fermented soy protein matrices. They can, therefore, be used to weaken the gel matrix purposely to create novel microstructures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications)
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13 pages, 1594 KiB  
Article
Preparation of Whole-Cut Plant-Based Pork Meat and Its Quality Evaluation with Animal Meat
by Haodong Liu, Jinchuang Zhang, Qiongling Chen, Anna Hu, Tongqing Li, Feng Guo and Qiang Wang
Gels 2023, 9(6), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9060461 - 05 Jun 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
Low-moisture (20~40%) and high-moisture (40~80%) textured vegetable proteins (TVPs) can be used as important components of plant-based lean meat, while plant-based fat can be characterized by the formation of gels from polysaccharides, proteins, etc. In this study, three kinds of whole-cut plant-based pork [...] Read more.
Low-moisture (20~40%) and high-moisture (40~80%) textured vegetable proteins (TVPs) can be used as important components of plant-based lean meat, while plant-based fat can be characterized by the formation of gels from polysaccharides, proteins, etc. In this study, three kinds of whole-cut plant-based pork (PBP) were prepared based on the mixed gel system, which were from low-moisture TVP, high-moisture TVP, and their mixtures. The comparisons of these products with commercially available plant-based pork (C-PBP1 and C-PBP2) and animal pork meat (APM) were studied in terms of appearance, taste, and nutritional qualities. Results showed the color changes of PBPs after frying were similar to that of APM. The addition of high-moisture TVP would significantly improve hardness (3751.96~7297.21 g), springiness (0.84~0.89%), and chewiness (3162.44~6466.94 g) while also reducing the viscosity (3.89~10.56 g) of products. It was found that the use of high-moisture TVP led to a significant increase in water-holding capacity (WHC) from 150.25% to 161.01% compared with low-moisture TVP; however, oil-holding capacity (OHC) was reduced from 166.34% to 164.79%. Moreover, essential amino acids (EAAs), the essential amino acids index (EAAI), and biological value (BV) were significantly increased from 272.68 mg/g, 105.52, and 103.32 to 362.65 mg/g, 141.34, and 142.36, respectively, though in vitro protein digestibility (IVPD) reduced from 51.67% to 43.68% due to the high-moisture TVP. Thus, the high-moisture TVP could help to improve the appearance, textural properties, WHC, and nutritional qualities of PBPs compared to animal meat, which was also better than low-moisture TVP. These findings should be useful for the application of TVP and gels in plant-based pork products to improve the taste and nutritional qualities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications)
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Review

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27 pages, 1194 KiB  
Review
An Overview of Ingredients Used for Plant-Based Meat Analogue Production and Their Influence on Structural and Textural Properties of the Final Product
by Maja Benković, Ana Jurinjak Tušek, Tea Sokač Cvetnić, Tamara Jurina, Davor Valinger and Jasenka Gajdoš Kljusurić
Gels 2023, 9(12), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/gels9120921 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3434
Abstract
Plant-based meat analogues are food products made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients that are intended to mimic taste, texture and appearance of meat. They are becoming increasingly popular as people look for more sustainable and healthy protein sources. Furthermore, plant-based foods are marketed [...] Read more.
Plant-based meat analogues are food products made from vegetarian or vegan ingredients that are intended to mimic taste, texture and appearance of meat. They are becoming increasingly popular as people look for more sustainable and healthy protein sources. Furthermore, plant-based foods are marketed as foods with a low carbon footprint and represent a contribution of the consumers and the food industry to a cleaner and a climate-change-free Earth. Production processes of plant-based meat analogues often include technologies such as 3D printing, extrusion or shear cell where the ingredients have to be carefully picked because of their influence on structural and textural properties of the final product, and, in consequence, consumer perception and acceptance of the plant-based product. This review paper gives an extensive overview of meat analogue components, which affect the texture and the structure of the final product, discusses the complex interaction of those ingredients and reflects on numerous studies that have been performed in that area, but also emphasizes the need for future research and optimization of the mixture used in plant-based meat analogue production, as well as for optimization of the production process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Gels for Plant-Based Food Applications)
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