Plasteins. Their preparation, properties, and use in nutrition

The theoretical and practical aspects of the plastein reaction, which consist in the formation of a gel following the addition of an endopeptidase to a concentrated solution of a partial protein hydrolysate, are examined and the properties and possibilities of using plasteins in nutrition are discussed. It is shown that valuable protein food products can be obtained with the aid of the plastein reaction from proteins with an unbalanced amino acid composition and from chemically synthesized amino acids. Other applications of plasteins in nutrition are discussed and the studies carried out hitherto on the mechanism and driving forces of plastein formation are considered.