State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Resources, School of Food Science and Technology, National Engineering Research Center for Functional Food, National Engineering Research Center of Cereal Fermentation and Food Biomanufacturing, Collaborative Innovation Center of Food Safety and Quality Control in Jiangsu Province, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi 214122, Jiangsu, China.
Department of Food Technology, Faculty of Food Science and Technology, University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia.
Food Res Int. 2024 Feb;177:113852. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2023.113852. Epub 2023 Dec 17.
Extruded plant proteins, also known as textured vegetable proteins (TVPs), serve as vital components in plant-based meat analogue, yet their structural and nutritional characteristics remain elusive. In this study, we examined the impact of high-moisture (HM) and low-moisture (LM) extrusion on the structures, digestion and absorption of three types of plant proteins. Extrusion transformed plant proteins from spherical to fibrous forms, and formed larger aggregate particles. It also led to the disruption of original disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions within protein molecules, and the formation of new cross-links. Intriguingly, compared to native plant proteins, TVPs' α-helix/β-sheet values decreased from 0.68 to 0.69 to 0.56-0.65. Extrusion increased the proportion of peptides shorter than 1 kD in digesta of TVPs by 1.44-23.63%. In comparison to unextruded plant proteins, TVPs exhibited lower content of free amino acids in cell transport products. Our findings demonstrated that extrusion can modify protein secondary structure by diminishing the α-helix/β-sheet value, and impact protein tertiary structure by reducing disulfide bonds and hydrophobic interactions, promoting the digestion and absorption of plant proteins. These insights offer valuable scientific backing for the utilization of extruded plant-based proteins, bolstering their role in enhancing the palatability and nutritional profile of plant-based meat substitutes.
挤压植物蛋白，又称组织化植物蛋白（TVP），是植物基肉类似物的重要组成部分，但它们的结构和营养特性仍不清楚。在这项研究中，我们研究了高水分（HM）和低水分（LM）挤压对三种植物蛋白结构、消化和吸收的影响。挤压将植物蛋白从球形转化为纤维状，并形成更大的团聚体颗粒。它还导致蛋白质分子中原有的二硫键和疏水相互作用的破坏，并形成新的交联。有趣的是，与天然植物蛋白相比，TVP 的α-螺旋/β-折叠值从 0.68 降低到 0.69 到 0.56-0.65。挤压使 TVP 消化物中短于 1kD 的肽的比例增加了 1.44-23.63%。与未经挤压的植物蛋白相比，TVP 在细胞转运产物中的游离氨基酸含量较低。我们的研究结果表明，挤压可以通过降低α-螺旋/β-折叠值来改变蛋白质的二级结构，并通过减少二硫键和疏水相互作用来影响蛋白质的三级结构，从而促进植物蛋白的消化和吸收。这些发现为挤压植物蛋白的利用提供了有价值的科学依据，增强了它们在提高植物基肉类替代品的口感和营养特性方面的作用。
