Mycelial protein as a novel alternative protein: A comparative study on the nutritional, digestible and processing...

With increasing demand for sustainable and nutritionally adequate alternative proteins, mycelial protein derived from edible fungi has emerged as a promising candidate. This study systematically compared mycelial protein, yeast protein, and soy protein in terms of nutritional quality, molecular structure, functional properties, and in vitro digestibility, with a particular focus on evaluating the nutritional and processing potential of mycelial protein. The proportion of essential amino acids in mycelial protein (43.1%) was comparable to that of yeast protein (43.4%) and higher than that of soy protein (38.3%), and mycelial protein also contained relatively higher contents of branched-chain amino acids. Structural analyses using FTIR and intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that mycelial protein possessed a more ordered secondary structure (α-helix + β-sheet >74%) and greater exposure of hydrophilic regions compared with soy protein. Functionally, mycelial protein showed the highest protein solubility (46.5%), outstanding foaming capacity (52%) and foam stability (130%), while yeast protein demonstrated superior emulsifying stability. Besides, mycelial protein exhibited the highest in vitro digestibility, reaching 52.2% in the gastric phase and 78.0% in the intestinal phase, significantly exceeding those of soy and yeast proteins. Overall, these results highlight mycelial protein as a nutritionally competitive, highly digestible, and functionally versatile alternative protein, supporting its potential application in sustainable food systems and protein-rich formulations.