Guo Na, Zhou Xin, Zhou Ganghua, Zhang Yimeng, Yu Guoqing, Liu Yangliu, Li Beibei, Zhang Fangyan, Zhu Guilan
Department of Biological and Food Engineering, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230061, China.
Anhui Green Food Rural Revitalization Collaborative Technology Service Center, Hefei 230061, China.
Foods. 2025 Aug 3;14(15):2720. doi: 10.3390/foods14152720.
The objectives of this study were to prepare whey protein-quercetin-gellan gum conjugates using the pH-shift method and to evaluate the impacts of varying pH values and quercetin concentrations on the interaction mechanisms and functional characteristics of the complexes. Spectroscopic analyses (fluorescence, UV-vis, and FT-IR) revealed that new complexes formed under alkaline conditions. Notably, an increasing quercetin concentration led to a reduction in complex particle size and an increase in the zeta potential value, with these effects being more pronounced under alkaline conditions. The particle size was 425.7 nm, and the zeta potential value was -30.00 mV at a quercetin addition concentration of 15 umol/g protein. Additionally, the complexes formed under alkaline conditions exhibited superior foaming capacity, emulsification properties, and significantly enhanced free radical scavenging activity. The complex's DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging rates rose by 41.57% and 57.69%, respectively. This study provides theoretical foundations and practical insights for developing protein-polyphenol systems, offering significant implications for the application of quercetin functional foods and supplements in the food science and pharmaceutical industries.
本研究的目的是采用pH值变化法制备乳清蛋白-槲皮素-结冷胶共轭物，并评估不同pH值和槲皮素浓度对复合物相互作用机制和功能特性的影响。光谱分析（荧光、紫外可见和傅里叶变换红外光谱）表明，在碱性条件下形成了新的复合物。值得注意的是，槲皮素浓度的增加导致复合物粒径减小，zeta电位值增加，在碱性条件下这些影响更为明显。当槲皮素添加浓度为15 μmol/g蛋白质时，粒径为425.7 nm，zeta电位值为-30.00 mV。此外，在碱性条件下形成的复合物表现出优异的发泡能力、乳化性能和显著增强的自由基清除活性。复合物的DPPH和ABTS自由基清除率分别提高了41.57%和57.69%。本研究为开发蛋白质-多酚体系提供了理论基础和实践见解，对槲皮素功能食品和补充剂在食品科学和制药行业的应用具有重要意义。
