Food Hydrocolloids最新文献

{"title":"Plant cheese based on complex coacervation with enrichment of oleosomes","authors":"Zhongyu Yang,&nbsp;Jingyang Guo,&nbsp;Keying Song,&nbsp;Gaoshang Wang,&nbsp;Jian Guo,&nbsp;Zhili Wan,&nbsp;Xiaoquan Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111994","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111994","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As green and healthy dietary habit become increasingly popular among consumers, plant-based cheese has gained widespread attention as an emerging plant-based product. Replicating the sensory, nutritional, and physicochemical properties of dairy cheese remains a critical challenge due to the compositional complexity and structural heterogeneity of plant-based products. This study developed plant cheese based on complex coacervation with enrichment of oleosomes and the roles of plant-based ingredients in shaping its microstructure, texture, and moisture distribution were examined. The plant-based cheese exhibited excellent stretchability and tunable rheological properties. Papain hydrolyzed oleosomes significantly enhanced the water-binding capacity and structural stability of plant-based cheese by improving the matrix and optimizing the fat distribution. LF-NMR analysis revealed that the addition of soy protein isolate (SPI)/gum arabic (GA) coacervates enhanced the binding of water, reducing its mobility, which in turn affected the texture of the plant-based cheese. This study highlights the potential of complex coacervation to design plant-based cheeses with favorable textural properties and controlled water distribution, offering new insights for novel plant-based cheeses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111994"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Calcium and high pressure regulation of 7S/11S pea globulin gel structure for simulating egg pudding texture","authors":"Jiajia Zhao,&nbsp;Xueyan Wang,&nbsp;Xin Yuan,&nbsp;Minjie Liao,&nbsp;Jiahao Li,&nbsp;Lingjun Ma,&nbsp;Fang Chen,&nbsp;Xiaosong Hu,&nbsp;Junfu Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111967","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111967","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pea globulins demonstrate promising gelation properties as potential alternatives to animal-derived proteins. When subjected to high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatment at 500 MPa, pea 7S and 11S globulins exhibit weakened structural integrity conducive to forming soft gel matrices analogous to commercial egg-based products. To optimize textural attributes and sensory profiles, this study employed a combined approach of high-pressure treatment (500 MPa) and calcium ions (Ca²⁺, 5–20 mM) for precise modulation of gel characteristics. A comprehensive evaluation framework incorporating rheological analysis, textural profiling, water holding capacity (WHC) assessment, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was employed to characterize gel properties. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) elucidated the underlying gelation mechanisms. Principal component analysis (PCA) identified optimal formulations demonstrating physical and sensory congruence with conventional egg pudding. Experimental results revealed concentration-dependent enhancement of gel properties with Ca²⁺ supplementation. Rheologically, Ca²⁺ induced 13.6- to 86-fold increases in storage modulus (G′ at 1 rad/s) compared to control samples. Textural parameters exhibited broad modulatory ranges: hardness (0.25–1.21 N), chewiness (0.15–1.27 mJ), cohesiveness (0.32–0.86), and springiness (1.88–0.87 mm). WHC demonstrated calcium-responsive variability between 75 % and 100 %. Microstructural analysis revealed Ca²⁺-mediated alterations in aggregate dimensions and network density. Notably, the 7S pea pudding with 60 mM Ca²⁺ optimization achieved exceptional congruence with egg pudding benchmarks in organoleptic and physical properties, while exhibiting superior structural integrity (cohesiveness: 1.26 ± 0.05) and reduced surface fracturing. This investigation establishes a theoretical foundation for developing plant-based analogues with animal product equivalency, particularly in soft gel food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111967"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105349","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel insights into interfacial effects on α, β-unsaturated aldehyde-induced modifications of milk proteins and polyphenol interventions in multiphase food systems","authors":"Ting-qi Yang ,&nbsp;Kaiyu Jiang ,&nbsp;Juncai Tu ,&nbsp;Yuxuan Liang ,&nbsp;Menghui Wang ,&nbsp;Beiwei Zhu ,&nbsp;Wei Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111962","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111962","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Lipid peroxidation remains an inevitable challenge during dairy processing and storage. The α, β-unsaturated aldehydes produced during lipid peroxidation are highly reactive with proteins, which can degrade the stability and nutritional quality of dairy products. Polyphenols are widely used as antioxidants to control degradation caused by α, β-unsaturated aldehydes. However, most studies focus on homogeneous systems, overlooking the influence of the complex interfaces inherent in dairy products on protein modification by α, β-unsaturated aldehydes and the intervention of polyphenols. Herein, we established a Hex-milk protein interfacial model system and employed clickable probes (yne-ACR) to simulate the modification of milk proteins by α, β-unsaturated aldehydes. Additionally, six polyphenols with different structures were added to intervene the modification by yne-ACR. Results demonstrated that both yne-ACR modification and the intervention of different polyphenols significantly altered the dynamic interfacial behavior and expansion rheological properties of milk proteins. However, the impact on the stability of the interface model system was minimal. Notably, casein in milk proteins predominantly adsorbed at the interface. The in-gel fluorescence imaging revealed that the presence of the interface enhanced the modification of milk proteins by yne-ACR. The intervention effects of polyphenols varied based on their structural characteristics: PA, GA, GeA, RA, and EC inhibited the modification of non-adsorbed β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) by yne-ACR, while EGCG significantly suppressed yne-ACR modification of both interfacial and non-adsorbed proteins and notably reduced protein carbonylation. This study highlights the critical role of interface microenvironment in influencing α, β-unsaturated aldehyde-protein interactions and analyzes the intervention effects of polyphenols with varying structures in complex food systems. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the rational use of antioxidant strategies in dairy processing.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111962"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel insights into selenium-biofortified P. eryngii polysaccharides: Unveiling selenium release patterns and gut microbiota modulation through in vitro models","authors":"Yifan Wang ,&nbsp;Keke Meng ,&nbsp;Yang Ji ,&nbsp;Qiuhui Hu ,&nbsp;Liyan Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111985","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111985","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Selenium biofortification of <em>P. eryngii</em> was achieved through exogenous selenium supplementation during cultivation, significantly increasing its selenium content. In this study, a Se-enriched polysaccharide (SePEP-1) and a natural polysaccharide (PEP-1) were isolated from <em>P. eryngii</em>. Structural analysis revealed distinct differences between the two. The molecular weight of SePEP-1 (2.39 × 10⁶ Da) was markedly higher than that of PEP-1 (1.85 × 10⁶ Da). Although both SePEP-1 and PEP-1 were composed of glucose, galactose, and mannose, SePEP-1 exhibited a relatively lower proportion of glucose. Characterization by FT-IR, XRD, glycosidic linkage analysis, and AFM confirmed that selenium biofortification markedly altered the structural characteristics of <em>P. eryngii</em> polysaccharides. <em>In vitro</em> digestion experiments demonstrated strong resistance of both polysaccharides to gastrointestinal degradation, with minimal selenium release (&lt;9 %) from SePEP-1. In contrast, during <em>in vitro</em> fermentation, SePEP-1 exhibited a strong capacity for selenium release (&gt;85 %), accompanied by a significant increase in short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). After 48 h of fermentation, SePEP-1 exerted remarkable prebiotic effects, significantly enriching <em>Bacteroides</em> and related taxa while strongly suppressing pathogenic bacteria such as <em>Escherichia/Shigella</em> and <em>Salmonella</em>. By comparison, PEP-1 selectively promoted the growth of certain <em>Firmicutes</em>, highlighting distinct microbial modulation patterns. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that selenium biofortification enhances the nutritional and functional properties of <em>P. eryngii</em> polysaccharides, providing a novel dietary strategy to improve gut health and microbial balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111985"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105223","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating critical determinants governing hydration characteristics of konjac glucomannan","authors":"Sicong Fang ,&nbsp;Xiaochen Huang ,&nbsp;John Nsor-Atindana ,&nbsp;Ling Chen ,&nbsp;Feifei Xu ,&nbsp;Fei Liu ,&nbsp;Maoshen Chen ,&nbsp;Fang Zhong","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111986","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111986","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As a viscous soluble dietary fiber, the hydration behavior of konjac glucomannan (KGM) is crucial for its food and pharmaceutical utilization. Although the increase in viscosity during hydration is an inherent property of KGM, six commercially available KGM samples exhibited different hydration behaviors even after the elimination of particle size effects, with hydration times ranged from 16.82 to 100.90 min, and solution viscosities at 30 s⁻¹ shear rate varied from 0.59 to 1.05 Pa s. Detailed analysis of physicochemical properties of KGM revealed essential factors for these differences. The results indicated that the hydration rate was mainly regulated by the powder properties. Hydration time correlated significantly with particle density and specific surface area (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). KGM samples with the highest tapped density (0.9416 g/cm³) and smallest specific surface area (384.29 cm²/cm³) exhibited the longest hydration time (100.90 min). Moreover, the viscosity after complete hydration was driven by its molecular characteristics. KGM samples with a larger radius of gyration (57.51 nm) and higher branching (1.47 %) ultimately exhibited higher viscosity (1.05 Pa s). Further analysis also revealed that the effect of processing methods on the hydration properties of KGM. Wet-extracted KGM showed higher tapped density (1.0406 g/cm³) and lower specific surface area (387.46 cm²/cm³), which ultimately led to longer hydration time (108.33 min) compared to dry extraction. These findings revealed the mechanisms by which physical properties govern the hydration efficiency and molecular structure determined the final viscosity, providing insights for optimizing its functionality in food and pharmaceutical products.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111986"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105224","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Structural modification of lentil protein enhances electrostatic complex formation with pectin and hydrogel particle development","authors":"Chenlu Ma,&nbsp;Ruojie Zhang,&nbsp;Fangfang Li,&nbsp;Bongkosh Vardhanabhuti,&nbsp;Azlin Mustapha,&nbsp;Hangxin Zhu,&nbsp;Zipei Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111966","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111966","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Protein–polysaccharide interactions play a crucial role in determining the texture, stability, and functionality of many food systems. However, plant proteins often possess rigid structures that limit their ability to interact with polysaccharides. This study explored how structural modification of lentil protein, through pH-shifting and heat treatment, influences its capacity to form electrostatic complexes with pectin. Confocal microscopy and particle size analysis showed that heat treatment alone was insufficient to promote complex formation. In contrast, pH-shifting (pH 12 → 7) followed by heating treatment at 75 °C led to the formation of uniform and micron-scale protein–polysaccharide complex (i.e., hydrogel particles). Zeta potential measurements confirmed minimal changes in the surface charge of the modified protein after treatment, indicating that the observed complexation was primarily driven by structural modifications rather than changes in electrostatic properties. Hydrophobicity and circular dichroism analysis further revealed that pH-induced unfolding increased molecular flexibility and enhanced protein–polysaccharide interactions while minimizing irreversible aggregation. These findings demonstrate that controlled structural modification of plant proteins, such as lentil protein, can improve their functional performance and promote the complex formation with polysaccharides. Such complexes can be further engineered into particles with tunable texture and rheological properties, making them suitable as fat replacers, texture modifiers, or delivery systems for bioactive compounds in various food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111966"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Novel approach to binary protein construction via pulsed electric field-induced unfolding: Comprehensive enhancement of chickpea protein properties","authors":"Yongxin Teng ,&nbsp;Xindong Xu ,&nbsp;Boru Chen ,&nbsp;Rui Wang ,&nbsp;Ting Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiangwei Zhu ,&nbsp;Yonghui Li ,&nbsp;Zhong Han ,&nbsp;Xin-An Zeng","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111983","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111983","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Developing functional, nutritionally rich plant-based protein resources is crucial for global food production. Here, we present a novel physical strategy to construct high-performance binary proteins by utilizing pulsed electric fields (PEF) to induce protein unfolding and subsequent co-folding. Under optimized conditions (30 kV/cm; chickpea protein (CP): bovine serum albumin (BSA) ratio 1:0.1, w/w), the resulting binary complex (C/B-P) exhibited a 228.3 % increase in solubility relative to native CP, accompanied by a significant reduction in aggregation. Multi-scale structural analyses and molecular dynamics simulations confirmed that PEF treatment unfolded the rigid CP structure, exposing an internal hydrophobic cavity (radius increased by 52 %). This newly accessible cavity serves as a high-affinity binding site (binding energy: −69.3 kcal/mol) for BSA, which stabilizes the unfolded state through co-folding. Consequently, C/B-P demonstrated superior functional properties, with foaming capacity soaring from 10 % to 90 % and markedly improved emulsion stability. Nutritionally, C/B-P possesses a complete amino acid profile, meeting FAO/WHO recommendations for both adults and preschool children. This PEF-based strategy not only effectively enhances CP's properties but also provides a powerful, rapid, and chemical-free paradigm for designing next-generation high-performance plant proteins for food applications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111983"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hyaluronic acid modified emodin polymeric nanoparticles for improved antibacterial activity and food preservation","authors":"Mingan Zou ,&nbsp;Yuting Shang ,&nbsp;Zhihong Zhao ,&nbsp;Zhiyan Lai ,&nbsp;Wenhui Zhou ,&nbsp;Tao Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111981","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111981","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Food preservation has recently attracted considerable attention in the field of food safety, highlighting the need to develop low-toxicity, natural compound-based products. This study aimed to investigate the regulatory effect of hyaluronic acid on emodin polymer nanoparticles and develop a novel antibacterial agent for fruit preservation. The nanoparticle system involving two polymers was found to enhance emodin solubility (42.25 %) by reducing particle size (236 nm) and crystallinity. Molecular simulation revealed that the hyaluronic acid network formed tight binding with emodin and improved stability through nine possible types of hydrogen bonds in the hyaluronic acid-based nanoparticles. It demonstrated remarkable bacterial killing effects in antimicrobial applications (<em>S. aureus</em> 96 % and <em>E. coli</em> 97 %). The optimized nanoparticles disrupted the integrity of microbial cell membranes, exhibiting significant inhibitory effects on the removal capacity of mature biofilms, as well as the viability and adhesion of bacteria within biofilms. The nanoparticles demonstrated superior efficacy in maintaining produce freshness (vitamin C) and inhibiting spoilage of cherry tomatoes and grapes within 7 days.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111981"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sulfation-dependent mechanism of dextran sulfate enhancing ovotransferrin thermal stability: Structural and molecular dynamics insights","authors":"Xinling Wu ,&nbsp;Zhengwei Wang ,&nbsp;Haojie Xu ,&nbsp;Lingling Gong ,&nbsp;Jinghong Ji ,&nbsp;Qiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Ramesh Kumar Saini ,&nbsp;Ting Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingbo Liu ,&nbsp;Xiaomin Shang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111980","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111980","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sulfated polysaccharides have emerged as chaperone-like agents for enhancing the thermal stability of ovotransferrin (OVT), the most heat-sensitive protein in egg white. However, the molecular mechanism by which dextran sulfate (DXS) enhances the thermal stability of OVT remains unclear. Here, we synthesized DXS with three degrees of sulfation (0.3, 1.0, and 2.1) to investigate how the sulfation level influences its interaction with OVT and thereby affects the structure-stability relationship. The specific interaction between DXS and OVT was investigated through molecular dynamics simulations. Turbidity, particle size distribution, and morphology results revealed that DXS acts as a molecular chaperone, effectively inhibiting thermal-induced amorphous aggregation of OVT and promoting the formation of soluble oligomeric structures in a sulfation-dependent manner. Thermal shift assay further showed that DXS significantly delayed the melting temperature of OVT, with a 22.8 % improvement at DXS 1.0 and beyond the instrument's detection limits at DXS 2.1. Besides, spectroscopic characterization revealed that DXS (particularly DXS 2.1) well preserved OVT's secondary and tertiary structures during thermal treatment, with a higher sulfate substitution degree leading to greater stabilization. Furthermore, molecular dynamics simulation results identified a preferential binding site at the pocket formed by ASN-672, TRP-464, and SER-674 residues, where DXS binding promoted the transformation of the flexible loop region into stable helical structures. Electrostatic interactions and hydrogen bonds dominated the binding between DXS and OVT. These findings provide new insights into the molecular basis of polysaccharide-mediated protein stabilization and support the application of sulfated polysaccharides as effective thermal protectants in protein-based food systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111980"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105217","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Unveiling the utilization of biowaste-derived carbon nanodots as texture modifiers in extrusion-cooked soy-protein-based high-moisture meat analogs","authors":"Ji Sou Lyu ,&nbsp;Kye Won Park ,&nbsp;Jaejoon Han","doi":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111977","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodhyd.2025.111977","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In this study, carbon nanodots (CDs) were synthesized from onion-peel waste as a natural carbon precursor. The CDs were used as plasticizers during the extrusion cooking of high-moisture meat analogs (HMMAs), and their potential as texture modifiers was evaluated. Onion-peel waste-derived carbon nanodots (oCDs) and oCD-incorporated meat analogs were systematically characterized along with comprehensive toxicity assays both <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em> to determine their safety as food ingredients. The synthesized oCDs exhibited an average diameter of 4.61 nm, emitting blue fluorescence with diverse surface functional groups. <em>In vitro</em> cytotoxicity assays against Caco-2 cells showed 87.98 % viability after 48 h at the maximum concentration (1000 μg/mL), confirming the low cytotoxicity of the oCDs. Furthermore, <em>in vivo</em> studies in C57BL/6 mice demonstrated no significant differences (P ≥ 0.05) in kidney or liver weight or related biomarkers, even at a high dose (20 mg/kg), further supporting their biocompatibility. The synthesized oCDs were then incorporated into a plasticizer during the high-moisture extrusion of soy-based meat analogs. Compared to the control group, which was only supplied with water as the plasticizer, the oCD-incorporated meat analogs exhibited a higher moisture content and water-holding capacity. Moreover, texture-profile analysis revealed that the HMMAs softened with increasing oCDs concentration, whereas adhesiveness increased (<em>P &lt;</em> 0.05), highlighting the potential of oCDs as texture modifiers for the extrusion processing of HMMAs. In conclusion, based on comprehensive toxicity assessments and physicochemical characterization, this study revealed the potential use of biowaste-derived CDs as safe and effective colorants and texture modifiers for HMMAs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":320,"journal":{"name":"Food Hydrocolloids","volume":"172 ","pages":"Article 111977"},"PeriodicalIF":11.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}