Utilizing protein nanofibrils as a scaffold for enhancing nutritional value in toned milk

Toned milk is a lower-fat, healthier alternative to whole milk that still contains all essential nutrients. A number of methods have been developed to improve the functionality of toned milk and make it more appealing to the consumers. However, these methods often involve extensive processing techniques and can be expensive. Therefore, alternative methods are needed. Proteins are well known for their ability to form well-defined nanofibril materials that can be used as a scaffold for various applications. In this article, a straightforward self-assembly process was used to load inulin into protein nanofibrils, creating unique composite nanofibrils. Characterization using AFM and SEM revealed well-defined composite nanofibrils with an average diameter of 4-6 nm and lengths ranging from 0.25 μm up to 10 μm. FT-IR and in-vitro release assays show that inulin was successfully attached to prepared protein nanofibrils. The composite nanofibrils were tested on toned milk to enhance the physico/chemical properties and nutritional values. The findings can be applied to the food industry to create a number of novel functional food products cost-effectively.