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Special Issue "Physical Properties of Foods Based on Milk Protein/Plant Protein"

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A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Physics and Theory".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 5 February 2024 | Viewed by 1891

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Zhihua Pang
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Guest Editor

Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Food Nutrition and Human Health, Beijing Technology & Business University (BTBU), Beijing 100048, China
Interests: physical properties of foods; milk protein/plant protein based foods

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As natural food-grade biological macromolecules, proteins play an important role in both food processing and human nutrition. Proteins are widely applied in formation of gels, emulsions, foam, membrane, carrier of active ingredients, etc. Dairy proteins and soy proteins (plant proteins) are the major types of protein sources used in food. Various methods (chemical, enzymatic, and physical) can be used to improve the physical properties of protein-based food systems. The development of science and technology has brought new perspectives to the relationship between the structure and functional characteristics of proteins, as well as greater possibilities for the application of proteins.

The present Special Issue aims to provide original research in the field:

Methods (chemical, enzymatic, and physical) for the structural modification of proteins;
Functional properties (emulsifying, gelling, foaming, film-forming, etc.) of proteins after structural modification;
Relationship between the structure and functional properties of proteins.

Dr. Zhihua Pang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

milk proteins
plant proteins
physical properties
rheology
tribology
gelation
emulsification
foaming

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 2264 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Incorporating Free Calcium and Magnesium on the Heat Stability of a Dairy- and Soy-Protein-Containing Model Emulsion

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Polymers 2023, 15(22), 4424; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15224424 - 16 Nov 2023

Viewed by 353

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of calcium chloride (CaCl₂) and magnesium chloride (MgCl₂) at varying concentrations on a model milk formulation’s physical and chemical properties after thermal treatment. The model milk was subjected to two-stage homogenization and pasteurization before being supplemented with different concentrations of CaCl₂ or MgCl₂. The findings revealed that elevating the concentration of either calcium or magnesium resulted in the milk emulsion having a higher viscosity and median particle size following heating. CaCl₂ had a slightly stronger impact than MgCl₂, particularly at higher concentrations. The milk samples also exhibited a reduction in the zeta potential as the ionic strength of the salt solution increased, with the CaCl₂-fortified milk displaying a slightly lower negative surface charge than the MgCl₂-fortified milk at the same dose. The model milk’s viscosity was evaluated after adding various salt concentrations and a temperature ramp from 20 to 80 °C. Notably, the viscosity and particle size changes demonstrated a non-linear relationship with increasing mineral levels, where a significant increase was observed at or above 5.0 mM. An emulsion stability analysis also revealed that the de-stabilization pattern of the high salt concentration sample differed significantly from its low salt concentration counterparts. These findings could serve as a basis for the future development of fortified UHT milk with nutritionally beneficial calcium and magnesium in industrial applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Properties of Foods Based on Milk Protein/Plant Protein)

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14 pages, 5584 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Pulsed Electric Field on the Physicochemical and Structural Properties of Micellar Casein

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Polymers 2023, 15(15), 3311; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15153311 - 04 Aug 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 629

Abstract

Pulsed electric field (PEF) as a green processing technology is drawing greater attention due to its eco-friendliness and potential to promote sustainable development goals. In this study, the effects of different electric field strengths (EFS, 0–30 kV/cm) on the structure and physicochemical features of casein micelles (CSMs) were investigated. It was found that the particle sizes of CSMs increased at low EFS (10 kV/cm) but decreased at high EFS (30 kV/cm). The absolute ζ-potential at 30 kV/cm increased from −26.6 (native CSMs) to −29.5 mV. Moreover, it was noticed that PEF treatment leads to changes in the surface hydrophobicity; it slightly increased at low EFS (10 kV/cm) but decreased at EFS > 10 kV/cm. PEF enhanced the protein solubility from 84.9 (native CSMs) to 87.1% (at 10 kV/cm). PEF at low EFS (10 kV/cm) intensified the emission fluorescence spectrum of CSMs, while higher EFS reduced the fluorescence intensity compared to native CSMs. Moreover, the analysis of the Amide Ι region showed that PEF-treated CSMs reduced the α-helix and increased the β-sheet content. Raman spectra confirmed that PEF treatment > 10 kV/cm buried tyrosine (Tyr) residues in a hydrophobic environment. It was also found that PEF treatment mainly induced changes in the disulfide linkages. In conclusion, PEF technology can be employed as an eco-friendly technology to change the structure and physiochemical properties of CSMs; this could improve their techno-functional properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Properties of Foods Based on Milk Protein/Plant Protein)

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11 pages, 1275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Flaxseed Gum on the Textural, Rheological, and Tribological Properties of Acid-Induced Soy Protein Isolate Gels

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Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2834; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132834 - 27 Jun 2023

Viewed by 593

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of incorporating different concentrations of flaxseed gum (FG) into acid-induced soy protein isolate (SPI) gels. The investigation focused on assessing the effects of FG on the textural, rheological, and tribological properties of the resultant SPI gels. The results showed that adding a small amount of FG (0.05%) to the SPI gel system increased the storage modulus (G′) and enhanced gelation while improving textural properties including hardness, viscosity, elasticity, and adhesion. Moreover, these gels exhibited strong water-holding capacity, a desirable property in various food products. However, when the concentration was increased to 0.3%, the WHC of the gel decreased, as did the hardness and cohesiveness. The particle size of the gel also increased with increasing concentration. Tribological investigations revealed that at 0.05–0.2% FG addition, the coefficient of friction (μ) of the composite gel was decreased compared to the pure SPI gel. In the sliding speed range of 1–100 mm/s, the coefficient of friction gradually increased with increasing concentration. When the FG concentration was 0.05%, the μ of the gel system was the lowest. In summary, low concentration of FG (0.05%) was found to play an important role in improving the properties of SPI gel, including enhancing textural, rheological, and lubricating properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physical Properties of Foods Based on Milk Protein/Plant Protein)

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