Effects of Continuous Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma on Fava Bean Protein Isolate Functionality and 3D...

Plant proteins are emerging food ingredients in the food processing industry. Fava bean proteins are highly nutritious due to their complete amino acid profile, making them an ideal candidate for human consumption. However, they exhibit poor functionality, including poor solubility and gelling properties. To improve the functionality of fava bean protein isolates (FBPI), cold plasma treatments can be used for protein modification and improvement of functionality. Cold plasma is a non-thermal technology that produces reactive species capable of modifying the structure and functionalities of plant proteins. This study explored the effects of continuous dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on FBPI. Continuous treatments were investigated as they are more scalable compared to batch treatments, which can be time-consuming and expensive. For treatment, FBPI were combined with water to create a consistent suspension, which was then recirculated between a sample container and the treatment platform, where it was exposed to DBD plasma. FBPI exposed to DBD plasma demonstrated changes in secondary structures, primarily transforming α-helices into β-sheets, with 12.5% and 66% increases in β-sheets for dry and wet FBPI (DW-FBPI) and deep eutectic solvent extracted FBPI (DES-FBPI) samples, respectively. In addition, treated DES-FBPI gels heated at 80°C exhibited a 70% increase in gel hardness, as determined by texture profile analyses. Improvements in 3D printability were also observed, including enhanced gel extrudability and increased structural rigidity. Overall, DBD plasma-treated samples produced 3D-printed structures that were more precise, rigid, and with reduced deformation. Overall, DBD plasma treatments were shown to be an effective method for modifying the structural and functional properties of FBPI.