Influence of dextrans on the textural, rheological, and microstructural properties of acid-induced faba bean protein gels

Huihua Tang; Junfei Chen; Biqin Liu; Rong Tang; Hong Li; Xinyi Li; Ling Zou; Qiao Shi

doi:10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101184

Influence of dextrans on the textural, rheological, and microstructural properties of acid-induced faba bean protein gels

Food Chem X. 2024 Feb 5:21:101184. doi: 10.1016/j.fochx.2024.101184. eCollection 2024 Mar 30.

Authors

Huihua Tang¹, Junfei Chen¹, Biqin Liu¹, Rong Tang¹, Hong Li², Xinyi Li¹, Ling Zou³, Qiao Shi¹

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Agro-Products Processing, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 65022, China.
² College of Food Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650100, China.
³ Institute of Flower Research, Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Kunming 650000, China.

Abstract

Dextrans (DXs) are a group of natural polysaccharides with different branching patterns. Previous studies examining the effects of DXs on plant protein gels have only focused on α-(1 → 3)-branched DXs. Here, we compared the effects of α-(1 → 3)-branched DX L12 with those of two α-(1 → 2)-branched DXs on the properties of glucono-δ-lactone-induced faba bean protein isolate (FPI) gels. DX L12 showed stronger effects in decreasing gel hardness and enhancing gel viscoelasticity than the other two DXs. Moreover, DX L12 decreased the water-holding capacity of FPI gels, whereas the other DXs enhanced it. Microstructural analysis revealed that DX addition promoted phase separation during gel formation. However, FPI/L12 gels exhibited greater phase separation than the other two gels and contained larger void spaces. These differences could be attributed to the varying water adsorption and self-association properties of the DXs. These findings could guide the application of DX in the tailored preparation of plant protein gels.

Keywords: Acid-induced gelation; Dextran; Faba bean protein; Microstructure; Rheology.