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Polysaccharides are widely applied in meat industries due to the excellent gelling, water-holding, and thickening properties. In the current work, carrageenan (CAR), curdlan (CUR) and potato starch (PS), were involved in the process of high-moisture extrusion (HME) of pea protein isolate (PPI) in order to improve the textural and structural characteristics of HME-PPI. Results showed that the addition of CAR and CUR increased the hardness and chewiness of HME-PPI while the presence of PS led to the opposite textural attributes. Compared to the PPI alone, blending 0.4 wt% CAR resulted in the formation of a fine fibrous structure, and adding 0.4 wt% CUR contributed to the generation of short and flat fibers. The FTIR analysis suggested that incorporating polysaccharides resulted in a reduction of the α-helix and random coil contents of PPI, and correspondingly an increase in β-sheet and β-turn contents. Based on the sensory evaluation, the HME-PPI in the presence of 0.4 wt% CAR or 0.4 wt% CUR or 2.0 wt% PS, respectively, were preferred by the panelists. These findings would provide valuable insights into the polysaccharide-modulated product quality of HME-PPI, which is important for the development of PPI as an alternative protein source for meat analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To overcome the intrinsic limitations of ergocalciferol, layer-by-layer oil-in-water emulsions were formulated and applied in the microencapsulation of ergocalciferol. The primary emulsions were prepared using rhamnolipids to stabilize oil droplets, and then the secondary emulsions were formed by electrostatic deposition of cationic chitosan onto anionic rhamnolipids-coated droplets. The effects of pH, ionic strength, and thermal treatment on the stability of emulsions were investigated. Secondary emulsions were more stable than primary emulsions at low pH and high NaCl concentrations. Both emulsions showed excellent physicochemical stability during long-term storage. The droplet size of ​emulsions remained stable, and the ergocalciferol retention in emulsions was still maintained at over 95% after 30 days of storage. These results indicate that the resistance of prepared emulsions to different environmental stresses is enhanced. Moreover, this study gives important information for extending the utilization of rhamnolipids and chitosan in the delivery system for functional ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growing world's population increases the demand of proteins. Meat products as the major source of high protein food are facing environmental impacts and animal welfare issues. Therefore, plant‐based meat analogs are developed and gain a foothold in global markets. The structure design, sensory attributes and nutrient characteristics of meat analogs are crucial points to match the real meat. This review aimed to systematically introduce the structural analysis methods and evaluate meat analog products from quality‐related attributes. First, various strategies of analyzing the fibrous structure of meat analogs were illustrated, including microscopic imaging and several optical techniques. Then, representative techniques such as NMR and AFM‐IR for analyzing the distribution of moisture and lipid in meat analogs are introduced. In terms of quality, we elaborated on the texture and sensory evaluation methods and dialectically analyzed meat analogs' nutrition, which can provide a guidance for the advanced development of meat analogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meat is a major source of high protein food for human beings, but livestock animals inevitably have negative consequences for environmental change. Plant proteins exhibit a promising potential to replace meat by developing plant-based meat analogues. The main challenge nowadays is how to endow the meat analogues with the similar attributes of real animal meats. The present work focuses on the structure design by improvement of the formulations and optimization of processing conditions using high moisture extrusion technology to create plant-based meat alternatives, and aims to clarify the relationship between the structure and formulation/processing. The major ingredients including proteins, polysaccharides, and their blends for the preparation of meat analogues are summarized since they are major structural components for the product identity and product differentiation, and have vital roles in fibrous structure formation of meat analogues. Extrusion variables, particularly the barrel temperature, the cooling die design and the moisture content of the feed are discussed as the quality of meat analogues could be tailored by extruder design and controlling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prolamins are a group of safe food additives that are biocompatible, biodegradable, and sustainable. Zein, gliadin, kafirin, and hordein are common prolamins that have been extensively studied, particularly as these form colloidal particles because of their amphiphilic properties. Prolamin‐based binary/ternary complexes, which have stable physicochemical properties and superior functionality, are formed by combining prolamins with polysaccharides, polyphenols, water‐soluble proteins, and surfactants. Although the combination of prolamins with other components has received attention, the relationship between the structural design of prolamin‐based complexes and their functionalities remains uncertain. This review discusses the production methods of prolamin‐based complexes, the factors influencing their structural characteristics, and their applications in the food industry. Further studies are needed to elucidate the structure–function relationships between prolamins and other biopolymers, as well as the toxicological effects of these complexes in food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play an important role in promoting brain development, decreasing the incidence of cardiovascular diseases, and reducing inflammation. However, PUFAs are inherently unstable and susceptible to oxidative deterioration due to two or more double bonds in their structure. Delivery systems have been developed to provide effective encapsulation and protection for PUFAs, and finally fulfill their health benefits. Emulsion‐based encapsulation is one of the most promising techniques for the delivery of PUFAs. The emulsion composition and structure, as well as the storage conditions are regarded as key factors to influence the stability of emulsions. To maximize the resistance of PUFAs in emulsions against oxidation, emulsion structure design has been particularly highlighted, and different methods for tailoring emulsion structure have been developed. The current work is focused on the careful design of emulsion structure to improve the oxidative stability of PUFAs. Different types of emulsions, including conventional emulsions, multilayer emulsions, gelled emulsions, and Pickering emulsions are introduced, and their protective effect for PUFAs are discussed. The major role of interfacial structure in emulsions is emphasized. The effects of emulsifiers and involved modification methods on the interfacial structure are presented to further improve the stability of PUFAs during storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lecithin, a naturally small molecular surfactant, which is widely used in the food industry, can delay aging, enhance memory, prevent and treat diabetes. The interaction between zein and soy lecithin with different mass ratios (20:1, 10:1, 5:1, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1 and 1:2) in ethanol-water solution and characterisation of zein and lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles prepared by antisolvent co-precipitation method were investigated. The mean size of zein-lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles was firstly increased with the rise of lecithin concentration and then siginificantly decreased. The nanoparticles at the zein to lecithin mass ratio of 5:1 had the largest particle size (263 nm), indicating that zein and lecithin formed composite colloidal nanoparticles, which might aggregate due to the enhanced interaction at a higher proportion of lecithin. Continuing to increase lecithin concentration, the zein-lecithin nanoparticles possibly formed a reverse micelle-like or a vesicle-like structure with zein in the core, which prevented the formation of nanoparticle aggregates and decreased the size of composite nanoparticles. The presence of lecithin significantly reduced the ζ-potential of zein-lecithin composite colloidal nanoparticles. The interaction between zein and lecithin enhanced the intensity of the fluorescence emission of zein in ethanol-water solution. The secondary structure of zein was also changed by the addition of lecithin. Differential scanning calorimetry thermograms revealed that the thermal stability of zein-lecithin nanoparticles was enhanced with the rise of lecithin level. The composite nanoparticles were relatively stable to elevated ionic strengths. Possible interaction mechanism between zein and lecithin was proposed. These findings would help further understand the theory of the interaction between the alcohol soluble protein and the natural small molecular surfactant. The composite colloidal nanoparticles formed in this study can broaden the application of zein and be suitable for incorporating water-insoluble bioactive components in functional food and beverage products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of dynamic high-pressure microfluidization (DHPM) and the addition of quercetagetin on the physical, structural, thermal, and morphological characteristics of zein nanoparticles were investigated. The result of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed that DHPM treatment caused the structural changes of zein, and the primary interactions between zein and quercetagetin were hydrogen bond and hydrophobic effects. Both of the DHPM treatment and the addition of quercetagetin resulted in the decrease of fluorescence intensity, the improved thermal stability, and the reducing of α-helix and the increase of β-sheets as proved by fluorescence spectra, differential scanning calorimetry thermograms, and circular dichroism spectra, respectively. It was found that the combined DHPM treatment and the addition of quercetagetin with mass ratio of zein to quercetagetin of 40:1 exhibited the morphology of nanospheres with more compact structure and uniform particle distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]