Biopolymers and Colloids Laboratory, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
Biopolymers and Colloids Laboratory, Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA; Department of Food Science & Bioengineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, 18 Xuezheng Street, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310018, China.
Int J Biol Macromol. 2024 Jun;270(Pt 1):132069. doi: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.132069. Epub 2024 May 3.
When creating plant-based meat analogs, it is often challenging to mimic the structural and textural attributes of real meat products during the cooking process. In this study, we investigated the potential of using potato protein/calcium alginate composite gels to formulate plant-based meat analogs. These gels provide a semi-solid texture at ambient temperature that remains intact during cooking because the electrostatic crosslinks are resistant to heat. Composite gels consisting of potato protein (10 wt%) and alginate (0-2 wt%) were prepared using the internal gelation method. This method involves dispersing an insoluble form of calcium (CaHPO) throughout the protein-polysaccharide matrix and then using glucono-delta-lactone (GDL) to slowly lower the pH, thereby releasing the Ca ions evenly throughout the system. The calcium alginate increased the strength of the potato protein gels and provided structural resistance to heat. Appreciable water loss occurred during cooking for simple calcium alginate gels, but this was prevented when potato proteins were present. Increasing the alginate concentration from 0 to 1.5 % increased the strength of the composite gels but higher levels promoted phase separation and network disruption, which reduced the gel strength. Heating did not appreciably alter the microstructure of the composite gels, but it did alter that of the pure potato protein gels. Finally, the potential of the composite gels as plant-based meat analogs was assessed by comparing their thermal denaturation and textural properties to those of real chicken breast. The potato protein/alginate composites were shown to simulate the thermal denaturation and textural changes of real chicken during the cooking process. Overall, our results suggest that calcium alginate gels may be useful in the formulation of plant-based meat products with improved cooking properties.
在制作植物性肉类仿制品时，通常很难在烹饪过程中模仿真实肉类产品的结构和质地属性。在这项研究中，我们研究了使用马铃薯蛋白/海藻酸钠复合凝胶来配制植物性肉类仿制品的潜力。这些凝胶在环境温度下提供半固态质地，在烹饪过程中保持完整，因为静电交联耐受热量。使用内部凝胶化方法制备由马铃薯蛋白（10wt%）和海藻酸钠（0-2wt%）组成的复合凝胶。该方法涉及将不溶性形式的钙（CaHPO）分散在蛋白质-多糖基质中，然后使用葡萄糖酸-delta-内酯（GDL）缓慢降低 pH 值，从而使 Ca 离子均匀释放到整个系统中。海藻酸钠增加了马铃薯蛋白凝胶的强度，并为其提供了耐热的结构阻力。简单的海藻酸钠凝胶在烹饪过程中会发生明显的水分流失，但当存在马铃薯蛋白时可以防止这种情况发生。将海藻酸钠浓度从 0 增加到 1.5%会增加复合凝胶的强度，但更高的浓度会促进相分离和网络破坏，从而降低凝胶强度。加热不会显著改变复合凝胶的微观结构，但会改变纯马铃薯蛋白凝胶的微观结构。最后，通过比较复合凝胶与真实鸡胸肉的热变性和质地特性，评估了它们作为植物性肉类仿制品的潜力。结果表明，马铃薯蛋白/海藻酸钠复合材料可以模拟真实鸡肉在烹饪过程中的热变性和质地变化。总的来说，我们的研究结果表明，海藻酸钠凝胶可能有助于改善烹饪特性的植物性肉类产品的配方。
