Food Research International最新文献

{"title":"Metabolomics-based reveals the relation between internal metabolism and storage quality of sesame harvested by machine at different speeds","authors":"Ling-Yu Qu ,&nbsp;Shu-Guang Gao ,&nbsp;Di-Chen Gong ,&nbsp;Jing-Wen Zhao ,&nbsp;Yun-Xuan Hu ,&nbsp;Xiao-Tian Zhu ,&nbsp;Han-Zhe Zhang ,&nbsp;Hua-Min Liu ,&nbsp;Hong-Mei Miao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118591","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118591","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mechanized harvesting of sesame seeds reduces costs and enhances efficiency, but improper methods induce mechanical damage that degrades seed storage quality. This study represented the first time to characterize the effects of machine-harvested speeds on the storage quality of sesame using a metabolomics-based approach. The results showed that the oxidation stability and seed coat color of machine-harvested sesame was better when harvested at an appropriate speed (2000–2200 r/min). Moreover, 1445 and 2075 metabolites were identified in positive ion mode and negative ion mode, respectively, including seven types of compounds (lipid, carbohydrates, peptide, organic acids, steroid, vitamins and cofactor, nucleic acids, and others). Notably, high machine-harvested speed (2900 r/min) accelerated the deterioration of sesame quality (acid value = 1.96 mg/g) primarily by regulating amino acid metabolism, nucleotide metabolism, lipid metabolism, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathways. This study offered a theoretical foundation and policy guidance for the mechanized harvesting of sesame.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118591"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172267","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 AprX: biochemical and molecular mechanisms of a heat-resistant inducing Milk spoilage protease","authors":"Lucas Filipe Almeida ,&nbsp;Solimar Gonçalves Machado ,&nbsp;Rafaela Zandonade Ventorim ,&nbsp;Antônio Fernandes de Carvalho ,&nbsp;Gabriela Piccolo Maitan-Alfenas","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118553","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118553","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The proteolysis of Ultra-High Temperature (UHT) milk is often linked to the proteolytic activity of AprX. This enzyme is a thermostable extracellular protease produced by <em>Pseudomonas</em> spp. that hydrolyzes caseins, causing milk destabilization and subsequent gelation. Since the availability of literature on the mechanisms involved in the action of AprX in dairy product spoilage is limited, this review article explores the biochemical aspects of AprX proteolytic activity, including its rules on cleavage sites in casein micelles. It discusses the <em>aprX</em> evolutionary aspects, regarding the conserved nature of its coding gene, the variable organization of the <em>aprX</em>-<em>lipA2</em> operon, and the mechanisms regulating its expression. The review highlights different quantification methods, emphasizing colorimetric assays due to their simplicity. It also addresses the resistance of AprX to UHT treatments due to its structure, attributed to its structure being stabilized by divalent ions, and underscores the need for new methodologies to better understand and control AprX activity in dairy processing. The enzyme's high resistance to UHT treatments is due to its flexible structure stabilized by interactions with divalent ions, mainly zinc and calcium. Due to its impact on the milk and dairy industry, new methodologies must be investigated based on the biochemical knowledge governing the AprX molecule. This review underscores the knowledge gaps and technological challenges that hinder efficient monitoring and control of AprX in dairy processing, calling for the development of innovative approaches to mitigate its impact on product quality and safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118553"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146102392","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":"Insights into conformational and hydrogel performance of silk fibroin treated by cold plasma","authors":"Jingkai Zhang ,&nbsp;Hongru Chen ,&nbsp;Tianning Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunhan Zhang ,&nbsp;Yiyan Liu ,&nbsp;Dongjie Huang ,&nbsp;Zongyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Rili Hao ,&nbsp;Ziang Guo ,&nbsp;Jing Yang ,&nbsp;Dapeng Li ,&nbsp;Yang Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118343","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118343","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Silk fibroin (SF), a biopolymer derived from <em>Bombyx mori</em>, offers excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and mechanical tunability, making it ideal for applications such as food structure formation, controlled release and active ingredient encapsulation. However, native SF hydrogels exhibit slow gelation under physiological conditions, limiting practical use. Cold plasma (CP) treatment effectively enhanced the surface hydrophobicity and charge density of SF by inducing partial protein unfolding and promoting aggregation through oxidative cross-linking. This led to a conformational shift from α-helix to β-sheet, strengthening intermolecular interactions. Compared with SF, CSF-8 (treated with CP for 8 min) formed a more compact and stronger three-dimensional structure. This enhancement significantly improved its water retention capacity and gel strength. The water retention capacity increased by 25.3%. The compressive stress at 50% strain rose from 15.2 kPa to 39.2 kPa. The gel hardness increased from 12.5 N to 34 N. The gelation time of CSF-8 was reduced by 81.2%, indicating that prolonged exposure promoted faster hydrogel formation. This study highlights CP as a green, tailoring SF structure and gelation via non-chemical strategies provides promising avenues for hydrogel design in functional foods, including structure building, controlled release and active ingredient encapsulation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118343"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146102190","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":"Beneficial effects of Ribes nigrum L. polyphenols on yogurt: Sensory quality, probiotic proliferation, pathogen inhibition and bioactivity","authors":"Yu Yang,&nbsp;Heran Liu,&nbsp;Meimei Zhao,&nbsp;Peng Guo,&nbsp;Jingwen Bai","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118596","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118596","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Yogurt is a globally popular fermented dairy product with excellent nutritional value. Its well-documented health benefits are predominantly associated with the probiotic strains involved in the fermentation process, which play key roles in gut microbiota modulation and metabolic homeostasis regulation. Concurrently, polyphenols derived from <em>Ribes nigrum</em> L. (RMAP) are likewise recognized for their bioactive potential, particularly their antioxidant and antimicrobial activities. To meet growing consumer interest and demand for value-added yogurt, the polyphenols extracted from <em>Ribes nigrum</em> L. (RMAP) were processed into freeze-dried powder and incorporated into yogurt to develop a novel functional product. After 21 days of storage at 4 °C, the addition of RMAP (0.25% ∼ 4%, <em>w</em>/<em>w</em>) in yogurt significantly promoted the viability of probiotic lactobacilli (<em>L. plantarum</em>, <em>L. casei</em>, <em>L. rhamnosus</em>, and L. <em>acidophilus</em>), improved the sensory property, antioxidant and <em>α</em>-glucosidase inhibitory activities, and inhibited the biofilm formation of pathogenic bacteria (<em>S. aureus</em>, <em>E. coli</em> and <em>Salmonella</em>). Moreover, the incorporation of RMAP suppressed protein degradation and stabilized the structure of protein in yogurt. Especially, the yogurt with 2% RMAP displayed the superior sensory quality, physicochemical characteristics and stability. UPLC-ESI-MS analysis revealed that yogurt supplemented with RMAP contained elevated levels of antioxidant compounds, including protocatechuic acid, rutin, and hyperoside. Principal component analysis demonstrated that the microbial stability, flavor quality, antioxidant activity, and overall sensory of RMAP-fortified yogurt were closely associated with the storage time. Therefore, RMAP may be a promising supplement for the development of innovative functional dairy products with enhanced nutritional and bioactive profiles.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118596"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171826","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":"Development and validation of a biomimetic mastication simulator for dynamic texture evaluation for cooked rice","authors":"Yanyun Cao ,&nbsp;Shixin Cai ,&nbsp;Xianlian Li ,&nbsp;Zihan Qin ,&nbsp;Yumei Qin ,&nbsp;Yuezhong Mao ,&nbsp;Shuangni Shi ,&nbsp;Suyun Zhang ,&nbsp;Yong Cheng ,&nbsp;Shiyi Tian","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118572","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118572","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A biomimetic mastication simulator (BMS) was developed and integrated with a texture analyzer to reproduce key physiological features of mastication, including cyclic dental compression, saliva lubrication, and enzymatic hydrolysis. Chewing parameters were calibrated from <em>in vivo</em> measurements (38 cycles; 1.84 mL saliva containing 809.7 U·mL⁻¹ <em>α</em>-amylase and 1038.69 <em>μ</em>g·mL⁻¹ mucin). The BMS reproduced population-level bolus properties, achieving similarity indices of 71.43% for relative and 82.14% for cumulative particle-size distributions, and comparable glucose release between <em>in vivo</em> and <em>in vitro</em> boluses (14.91 <em>vs</em> 12.33 mmol/L). SEM and CLSM further confirmed comparable matrix erosion and starch–protein reorganization. Instrumental dynamics aligned with oral perception, with BMS-derived hardness and adhesiveness correlating strongly with sensory time–intensity profiles (R² = 0.8617 and 0.9258, respectively). Differences in oral breakdown and dynamic texture evolution of <em>Indica</em> (IR), <em>Japonica</em> (JR), and waxy (WR) rices were investigated by the BMS. IR, with high amylose content (26.8%), maintained a compact bolus structure, exhibited the highest dynamic hardness and chewing work, fragmented more slowly, and showed limited early hydrolysis. In contrast, WR, dominated by amylopectin (69.85%) and nearly amylose-free, underwent rapid structural collapse into fine, highly porous particles, exhibited the highest adhesiveness, and released approximately 2.5-fold more glucose than IR and JR. Collectively, these results demonstrated that varietal starch constituents governed the bolus structural disintegration and starch hydrolysis during oral processing, thereby shaping dynamic texture perception. The BMS provided a quantitative framework for structure-guided design of rice and starch-based foods with targeted sensory properties and early digestive outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118572"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171831","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":"Selenization-based nanotechnology improves the hypoglycemic and anti-osteoporotic efficacy of Rehmannia glutinosa polysaccharide","authors":"Yunqian Lu ,&nbsp;Fangzhou Yang ,&nbsp;Shuqing Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaohuan Wang ,&nbsp;Dengxue Yang ,&nbsp;Yaoyao Guo ,&nbsp;Meihua Han ,&nbsp;Xiangtao Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118560","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118560","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The global prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) continues to rise, with diabetic osteoporosis (T2DOP) representing a common yet insufficiently addressed complication. In this study, we synthesized selenium-<em>Rehmannia glutinosa</em> polysaccharide nanoparticles (Se-RGP NPs) characterized by an average particle size of 91.35 nm, a polydispersity index (PDI) of 0.231, and a spherical morphology. The Se-RGP NPs exhibited excellent stability during storage and in physiological media, displaying greater inhibitory activity against α-amylase and α-glucosidase than free RGP. Compared with free RGP, Se-RGP NPs demonstrated significantly enhanced cellular uptake, improved capacity to scavenge intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), stabilized mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), and restored mitochondrial function in insulin-resistant (IR) cell models, along with markedly increased oral bioavailability. In streptozotocin (STZ)-induced T2DM mice complicated with osteoporosis, administration of 10 mg/kg of Se-RGP NPs achieved a hypoglycemic efficacy equivalent to that of 80 mg/kg of free RGP. At doses of 20 and 30 mg/kg, Se-RGP NPs further reduced blood glucose levels, repaired pancreatic islets, improved blood lipid profiles, and ameliorated bone microstructure. No significant side effects were observed during treatment with Se-RGP NPs. The improved therapeutic efficacy of RGP was attributed to both improved oral absorption facilitated by nanotechnology and the synergistic actions of selenium. Selenization of nanoparticles offers a novel strategy to enhance the therapeutic potential of bioactive polysaccharides such as RGP in managing diseases associated with excessive ROS activation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118560"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146171974","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":"A novel antioxidant peptide DD12 (DWPDARGIWHND) derived from dry cured ham alleviates H2O2-induced oxidative damage via the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway","authors":"Ying-dao Nan ,&nbsp;Si-qi Chen ,&nbsp;Guan-hao Li ,&nbsp;Ting-yu Li ,&nbsp;Bai-de Mu ,&nbsp;Juan Wang ,&nbsp;Jian Feng ,&nbsp;Hong-mei Li ,&nbsp;Chun-xiang Piao","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118404","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118404","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated the antioxidant mechanism of the dry-cured ham-derived peptide DD12 and its regulatory effect on the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE signaling pathway. Network pharmacological analysis showed that DD12 was associated with multiple antioxidant targets, and KEGG analysis revealed that it may regulate 112 signaling pathways, especially the Keap1-Nrf2 pathway. PPI network analysis identified five key targets, and molecular docking demonstrated that DD12 binds to NFE2L2 with high affinity. Luciferase reporter gene analysis confirmed that DD12 activated the ARE. Moreover, DD12 elevated SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px activities, and MDA and ROS levels were reduced by 54.46% and 67.39%, respectively in H₂O₂-induced Caco-2 cells. Western blot analysis demonstrated that DD12 promotes Nrf2 nuclear translocation and increased Nrf2, NQO1, HO-1, and decreased Keap1 mRNA and protein expression, indicating that DD12 inhibited H₂O₂-induced oxidative damage. Thus, DD12 acts as a potential antioxidant by activating the Keap1-Nrf2-ARE pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118404"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172000","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":"Computational design of a highly active and stable alkaline pectate lyase: Unraveling the molecular mechanisms for superior performance","authors":"Mei Zhao ,&nbsp;Haoyang Li ,&nbsp;Jiaojiao Chen ,&nbsp;Xiaohao Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaohong Pan ,&nbsp;Lei Sun ,&nbsp;Liang Guo ,&nbsp;Xianghui Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118552","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118552","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pectate lyases are essential for valorizing pectin-rich biomass. However, their industrial application is often limited by low stability and efficiency under harsh operational conditions. To overcome these challenges, we implemented a multifaceted computational design strategy, which integrated molecular dynamics simulations at multi-temperature (310.15 K, 343.15 K, and 363.15 K) to identify distal flexible regions. This was coupled with free energy-guided optimization of the proximal active sites, utilizing tools such as FireProt, PROSS, and HotSpot, to achieve a synergistic enhancement of enzyme properties. From an initial screening of 46 single-point mutants, the top-performing variant, D262E, was combined with S184A, resulting in the double mutant S184A/D262E. This variant demonstrated exceptional improvements in catalytic efficiency, with a 8.19-fold increase in catalytic efficiency (<em>k</em>_cat/<em>K</em>_m), a melting temperature of 80.90 °C, and a half-life of 61.74 min at 70 °C and pH 10.0. The observed stabilization was attributed to enhanced hydrophobic packing, optimized H-bond networks, and reduced solvent accessibility, all of which contribute to its robust performance under extreme conditions. When applied in fabric bioscouring, the S184A/D262E variant significantly enhanced hydrophilicity, increasing the wetting area by 1.28-fold compared to the wild-type enzyme. This performance demonstrates the variant's superior efficacy in industrial applications. This study highlights a generalizable approach for simultaneously improving both enzyme activity and stability, making it highly suitable for efficient biomass refining under demanding industrial conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118552"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172058","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":"Functional evaluation of a Staphylococcus vitulinus protease: Biochemical properties, structural adaptation, and application in myofibrillar proteins","authors":"Yuhang Fan,&nbsp;Qian Chen,&nbsp;Qian Liu,&nbsp;Hui Wang,&nbsp;Fangda Sun,&nbsp;Baohua Kong","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118603","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118603","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>An extracellular protease was obtained from <em>Staphylococcus vitulinus</em> and exhibited optimal activity at pH 8.0 and 50 °C. Mn²⁺ (10 mmol/L) significantly enhanced its activity, while Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Fe²⁺, and Fe³⁺ exhibited inhibitory effects (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). The <em>K</em>_<em>m</em> and <em>V</em>_<em>max</em> values of the protease were 9.67 mg/mL and 27.5 U/mL·min, respectively, and the <em>E</em>_<em>a</em> was 16.5 kJ/mol. The protease from <em>S. vitulinus</em> exhibited <em>ΔH*</em> of 13.94 kJ/mol, <em>ΔG*</em> of 39.18 kJ/mol, and <em>ΔS*</em> of −70.9 J/(mol·K). Fluorescence and ultraviolet spectroscopic analyses demonstrated that variations in pH and temperature altered protease activity by affecting its tertiary structure, which is primarily associated with tyrosine and tryptophan residues. At the secondary structure level, the decline in protease activity was associated with the decrease in α-helices and β-sheets as well as the increase in random coils. Proteolysis catalyzed by <em>S. vitulinus</em> protease resulted in a significant increase in the degree of hydrolysis, solubility, and peptide concentration of myofibrillar proteins (MPs) (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), with the highest hydrolysis rate observed within 0–30 min. Both the variety and content of free amino acids increased with the extension of hydrolysis time (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). Protease treatment promoted the formation of volatile compounds derived from MPs, including alcohols, esters, aldehydes, acids, and ketones. Six volatile compounds with variable importance in projection values greater than 1 were selected. This study aimed to develop a protease with excellent proteolytic capacity and flavor-enhancing efficacy, and to elucidate its underlying mechanism from the perspective of amino acid metabolic pathways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118603"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172069","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":"Pea protein isolate‑sodium alginate-based plant-based meat analogue: dual crosslinking and molecular insight mechanisms","authors":"Khubaib Ali ,&nbsp;Chang Liu ,&nbsp;Nadia Niaz ,&nbsp;Faizan Ul Haq ,&nbsp;Mingze Xu ,&nbsp;Rui Sun ,&nbsp;Tianhao Zhu ,&nbsp;Peipei Yin ,&nbsp;Mangang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118568","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.foodres.2026.118568","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study focused on the formulation of plant-based meat analogues (PBMAs) composed of pea protein isolate‑sodium alginate (PPI-SA) using a combined internal gelation, enzymatic crosslinking, and freezing technique. Ethyl maltol (EM) was added as a flavoring agent along with a structural stabilizer. The maximum hardness and chewiness were observed in UC-1 (177.40 N) and C-1 (448.95 mj), respectively. The cooking loss was reduced from 21.48% (C-0) to 16.52% in flavored PBMAs, while the water holding capacity increased slightly to 72.50% (C-3) from 70.76% (C-0). The encapsulation efficiency was observed from 79.71% to 92.40%. FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed the presence of strong molecular interactions and partial disruption of crystallinity following cooking, indicating that the addition of EM has a positive effect on the PPI-SA matrix. The results of LF-NMR showed that the mobility of immobilized water in cooked samples decreased, which indicates a more compact network. The <em>in vitro</em> EM release was proportional to the amount added, while the digestibility ranged from 16% to 29% (SGF) and 45% to 68% (SIF). Molecular docking and MD simulation supported these results by indicating stable interaction of EM with pea globulin through hydrogen bonding, hydrophobic, and van der Waals interactions. These findings indicated that combined gelation enhanced the mechanical strength, water retention, flavor stability, and nutritional performance of PBMA, demonstrating its capacity for the development of clean-label meat analogues with higher quality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":323,"journal":{"name":"Food Research International","volume":"230 ","pages":"Article 118568"},"PeriodicalIF":8.0,"publicationDate":"2026-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146172067","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}