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Conformational changes induced by cellulose nanocrystals in collaboration with calcium ion improve solubility of pea
Huixia Liu1, Weixiao Li1, Jianxia Xu1
1Key Laboratory of Jianghuai Agricultural Product Fine Processing and Resource Utilization of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, State Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea and Food Science & Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
Abstract:
The low solubility of pea protein isolate (PPI) greatly limits its functional properties and its wide application in food field. Thus, this study investigated the effects and mechanisms of cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) (0.1-0.4 %) and CaCl2 (0.4-1.6 mM) on the solubility of PPI. The results showed that the synergistic effect of CNC (0.3 %) and Ca2+ (1.2 mM) increased the solubility of PPI by 242.31 %. CNC and Ca2+ changed the molecular conformation of PPI, enhanced intermolecular forces, and thus induced changes in the molecular morphology of PPI. Meanwhile, the turbidity of PPI decreased, while surface hydrophobicity, the absolute zeta potential value, viscoelasticity, β-sheet ratio, and thermal properties increased. CNC bound to PPI molecules through van der Waals force and hydrogen bond. Ca2+ could strengthen the crosslinking between CNC and PPI. In summary, it is proposed a valuable combination method to improve the solubility of PPI, and it is believed that this research is of great significance for expanding the application fields of PPI and modifying plant proteins.
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