Combining solid dispersion-based spray drying with cyclodextrin to improve the functionality and mitigate the beany...

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Protein Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• The characteristic beany flavor of pea protein isolates (PPI) significantly restricts their widespread use in food products.
• Developing effective strategies to mask or remove these undesirable flavor compounds is crucial for expanding the application of plant-based proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of cyclodextrins (CD) in mitigating the beany flavor of pea protein isolates (PPI).
• To evaluate the impact of co-spray drying PPI with CD on the protein structure and functional properties.

Main Methods:

• Pea protein isolates (PPI) were prepared using alkaline extraction and isoelectric precipitation.
• Co-spray drying of PPI with cyclodextrins (CD) was performed.
• High-throughput solid-phase microextraction gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) coupled with untargeted metabolomics was employed to analyze aroma compounds.
• Structural integrity and functional attributes of the modified PPI were assessed.

Main Results:

• Co-spray drying with CD successfully reduced the concentration of 23 identified aroma compounds responsible for the beany odor.
• Analysis indicated that CD entrapped volatile aroma compounds during the spray drying process.
• No significant alterations in the structural or functional properties of PPI were observed after co-spray drying with CD.

Conclusions:

• Co-spray drying pea protein isolates (PPI) with cyclodextrins (CD) is an effective method for mitigating beany flavor.
• This technique preserves the functional attributes of PPI, making it a promising approach for improving the sensory quality of plant-based protein ingredients.