Microscopic insight into the interactions between pea protein and fatty acids during high-moisture extrusion...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Protein Chemistry
• Material Science

Background:

• Plant-based meat substitutes are gaining popularity.
• Lipids play a crucial role in the texture and quality of meat products.
• Understanding lipid-protein interactions is key to improving plant-based meat alternatives.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of fatty acids on pea protein conformation during high-moisture extrusion (HME).
• To elucidate the mechanisms by which lipids influence the structural development of plant-based meat analogues.

Main Methods:

• High-moisture extrusion (HME) processing with a dead-stop operation.
• Surface hydrophobicity analysis.
• Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).
• Micromorphology analysis.

Main Results:

• Fatty acids exposed hydrophobic groups in pea protein, weakening hydrogen bonds and altering protein aggregation.
• Unsaturated fatty acids (oleic, linoleic) limited protein chain refolding and covalent interactions.
• Stearic acid promoted disulfide bond formation, enhancing fibrous structure development.
• Oleic and linoleic acids hindered anisotropic structure formation due to coalescence.

Conclusions:

• Fatty acid type significantly influences pea protein structure and the resulting texture of meat substitutes.
• Stearic acid can promote desirable fibrous structures, while unsaturated fatty acids may impede them.
• These findings provide a theoretical basis for optimizing lipid-protein interactions in plant-based meat analogue production.