Evaluation of scaffold properties for cell-cultured food based on protein sources and their mixtures

For cultured meat applications, the development of protein-based scaffolds is essential to produce sustainable edible materials with suitable textures and functionalities. In this study, scaffolds were fabricated using various plant-based protein sources, including soybean (gel-based soybean protein scaffold, GSP), pea (gel-based pea protein scaffold, GPP), and faba bean (gel-based faba bean protein scaffold, GFP), and mixed protein formulations (S1-S4), and their physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties were evaluated. All the scaffolds exhibited a pale yellow color and porous surface morphology. Water absorption analysis revealed that GSP exhibited the highest uptake among the single-protein scaffolds. Notably, the partial substitution of pea or faba bean proteins with other plant proteins, such as soy, significantly improved the water absorption capacity compared to that of GPP and GFP. The degradation rate of plant protein-based scaffolds remained below 10% during the early incubation stages, but increased markedly after 12 h. Mixed-protein scaffolds exhibited over 20% degradation at 48 h, whereas single-protein scaffolds showed less degradation. Texture profile analysis demonstrated that mixed-protein scaffolds had significantly higher hardness and chewiness than single-protein scaffolds, likely due to enhanced protein-protein interactions and network formation. However, cell proliferation analysis indicated that single-protein scaffolds supported better cell attachment and proliferation, with scaffolds prepared using faba bean proteins showing the highest proliferation rate. These results suggest that plant-based protein scaffolds can be tailored based on protein composition to optimize both their physicochemical and biological properties, thereby offering promising strategies for the development of edible scaffolds for cultured meat production.