High moisture extrusion technology assisted by enzymatic protein-protein crosslinking approach to improve the texture of plant-based meat analalogues

高水分挤出技术辅助酶促蛋白质-蛋白质交联方法改善植物基肉类类似物的质地

• 批准号: 2886464
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Reading
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Studentship
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2886464
• 关键词: moisture; extrusion; technology; assisted; enzymatic

Currently plant-based meat industry heavily relies on using additives, including, flavourings, colouring, oil and binding & texturizing agents The binding & texturizing additives such as methylcellulose, gums (e.g. carrageenan, guar, gellan, xanthan, alginate) and fibres (e.g. pea, oat, bamboo) are to create the meat-like texture for cold & hot consumption. There is a growing desire from consumers to have clean label and heathier plant-based food. A significant number of studies already shown that additives, such as methyl cellulose (MC) is not digestible, doesn't have a nutritional benefit, & may have an adverse heath effect after prolonged ingestion Modifying the plant protein structure by enzymatic crosslinking is gaining an interest due to mild reaction conditions and the specificity of the enzymes. Since the functionality of a protein is determined by its molecular structure the enzymatic crosslinking of the protein has great potential to create different intra and inter molecular bonding to achieve texture and consumption experience without the need of using MC, gums and other additives. Exploring the effects of protein-protein crosslinking catalysed by enzymes such as transglutaminase, will be useful in understanding the effects it has on gelling, emulsifying, foaming, texturing properties of the extruded plant proteins.A recent study showed that faba bean and oat proteins were successfully crosslinked by transglutaminase which improved the electrostatic stability. Transglutaminase-induced gels were also shown to have a high final storage modulus & strain hardening response indicating mechanically strong texture. This demonstrates the high potential of enzyme crosslinked proteins with good gelling capability which can be an alternative to commonly used gelling additives.Proteins are converted to gels by a range of processes that increase intermolecular interactions. The prominent covalent interaction is disulfide bonds; however plant protein has limited amount of cysteine that contribute to the gel strength. Transglutaminase & other oxidative enzymes such as tyrosinase & laccase can potentially induce crosslinking of food proteins to improve textural properties A lack of understanding on the optimum way of crosslinking the proteins by enzymes remains a challenge as food systems contain complex ingredients and involves a lot of processing. We aim to develop a novel and chemical-free binding system for plant-based meat products as a replacement of currently used commercial binders/additives.We will conduct a systematic study on the interactions between proteins and selected additives at molecular level to understand exactly how to create suitable textures for meat analogues. We will then focus on protein-protein crosslinking technologies, as a pre-treatment step to extrusion, to replicate such interactions and re-create the meat-like texture without additives. We will also evaluate different plant based proteins for crosslinking performance, nutritional benefits, and costs to achieve the most optimal clean label solution.Research objectives1.Achieve in-depth understanding of the chemistry of different proteins (e.g. pea, soy, chickpea, faba), enzymes (crosslinkers), & how the texture of current meat-alternative products is developed using additives. 2.Screen the tested proteins, enzymes, and processing parameters, via a structured design of experiment methodology. Generate predictive models to achieve optimal performance (e.g. texture, brittleness, elasticity) of crosslinked protein matrix.3.Understand how crosslinked protein matrix behaves in model plant-based meat formula, & the impact of manufacturing process parameters (e.g. extrusion, high shear mixing, pasteurisation).4.Conduct an extensive product validation program (in collaboration with industry partner), including large scale manufacture trials and sensory testing.

目前，植物性肉类工业严重依赖于使用添加剂，包括调味剂、着色剂、油以及粘合剂和质构剂。粘合剂和质构添加剂如甲基纤维素、树胶（例如角叉菜胶、瓜尔胶、结冷胶、黄原胶、藻酸盐）和纤维（例如豌豆、燕麦、竹子）是为了产生用于冷和热消费的类似肉类的质地。消费者越来越希望拥有清洁标签和更健康的植物性食品。大量的研究已经表明，添加剂，如甲基纤维素（MC）是不可消化的，没有营养益处，并且在长时间摄入后可能会对健康产生不利影响。由于温和的反应条件和酶的特异性，通过酶交联修饰植物蛋白质结构正在引起人们的兴趣。由于蛋白质的功能性由其分子结构决定，因此蛋白质的酶促交联具有产生不同的分子内和分子间键合的巨大潜力，以实现质地和消费体验，而无需使用MC、树胶和其他添加剂。探讨转氨酶等酶催化的蛋白质间交联对蛋白质挤压膨化制品的凝胶、乳化、发泡、质构等性能的影响，有助于深入研究蛋白质间交联的机理。转氨酶诱导的凝胶也显示出具有高的最终储能模量和应变硬化响应，表明机械上强的质地。这证明了具有良好胶凝能力的酶交联蛋白的高潜力，可以替代常用的胶凝添加剂。蛋白质通过一系列增加分子间相互作用的过程转化为凝胶。主要的共价相互作用是二硫键;然而植物蛋白具有有限量的半胱氨酸，其有助于凝胶强度。转氨酶和其他氧化酶如酪氨酸酶和漆酶可以潜在地诱导食品蛋白质的交联以改善质构特性。由于食品系统包含复杂的成分并涉及大量的加工，因此对酶交联蛋白质的最佳方式缺乏了解仍然是一个挑战。我们的目标是开发一种新的、不含化学物质的植物基肉制品粘合系统，以替代目前使用的商业粘合剂/添加剂。我们将在分子水平上对蛋白质与选定添加剂之间的相互作用进行系统研究，以准确了解如何为肉类模拟物创造合适的质地。然后，我们将专注于蛋白质-蛋白质交联技术，作为挤出的预处理步骤，以复制这种相互作用并在没有添加剂的情况下重新创建肉状质地。我们还将评估不同植物蛋白质的交联性能、营养效益和成本，以获得最佳的清洁标签解决方案。研究目标1.深入了解不同蛋白质（如豌豆、大豆、鹰嘴豆、蚕豆）、酶（交联剂）的化学性质，以及如何使用添加剂开发当前肉类替代产品的质地。2.通过结构化实验设计方法，筛选待测蛋白质、酶和工艺参数。生成预测模型以实现最佳性能3.了解交联蛋白质基质在模型植物基肉类配方中的行为，以及制造工艺参数的影响（例如挤压、高剪切混合、巴氏灭菌）。4.进行广泛的产品验证计划（与行业合作伙伴合作），包括大规模生产试验和感官测试。