Ultrasound-assisted construction of the curdlan-pea protein gel network for dysphagia management: Texture modification and interaction exploration

Abstract

With the advancement of world population aging, dysphagia has become a pressing health challenge. Providing texture-improved foods is an effective strategy to reduce risk during eating for patients with dysphagia. In this study, the gel quality of pea protein isolate was effectively improved by curdlan gum combined with ultrasonic treatment, and it could be swallowed safely. Curdlan and/or ultrasound could improve the strength and water-holding capacity of pea protein isolate gel and increase the proportion of immobilized water. It was observed that ultrasound reduced the particle size of pea protein isolate in the sol, which might be beneficial for the interaction between protein and water, as well as the unfolding and cross-linking of the protein. In addition, ultrasound and/or curdlan promoted the formation of the uniform and dense gel structure by affecting the sol-gel transition process and modifying the protein conformation. In this regard, molecular dynamics simulation revealed that curdlan and pea protein molecules could be crosslinked through non-covalent interactions such as hydrogen bonding, van der Waals forces, and electrostatic forces, thus forming a stable three-dimensional network. The modified gels had good swallowing properties and were assessed as levels 5–6 according to the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative framework. Overall, ultrasound and curdlan are promising approaches for improving the quality of pea protein isolate gel. This study provides a new perspective on the precise regulation of gel food texture, which is valuable for the design of texture-improved food for elderly patients with dysphagia.