Prediction of heat-induced polymerization of different globular food proteins in mixtures with wheat gluten.

Egg, soy or whey protein co-exists with wheat gluten in different food products. Different protein types impact each other during heat treatment. A positive co-protein effect occurs when heat-induced polymerization of a mixture of proteins is more intense than that of the isolated proteins. The intrinsic protein characteristics of globular proteins which enhance polymerization in mixtures with gluten are unknown. In this report, a model was developed to predict potential co-protein effects in mixtures of gluten and globular proteins during heating at 100°C. A negative co-protein effect with addition of lysozyme, no co-protein effect with soy glycinin or egg yolk and positive co-protein effects with bovine serum albumin, (S-)ovalbumin, egg white, whole egg, defatted egg yolk, wheat albumins and wheat globulins were detected. The level of accessible free sulfhydryl groups and the surface hydrophobicity of unfolded globular proteins were the main characteristics in determining the co-protein effects in gluten mixtures.