Interactions between plant proteins and molecules contributing to flavor: influence on texture and flavour

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The effective use of plant proteins as ingredients in novel and existing food products relies on the ability of these proteins to contribute to the properties of the food. For example, proteins gelation can contribute to the structural integrity of a food. As foods are complex systems, to effectively utilize these plant proteins it is necessary to consider the influence of other ingredients, including small molecules such as salts, sugars and flavours that are present at relatively lower concentrations. Interactions between these molecules and proteins affect both protein performance and the contribution made by these molecules. The objective of this research is look at the interactions between selected plant (peas, beans, lentils and canola) proteins and compounds which contribute to flavor in terms of the ability of the protein to form a gel and the small molecules to contribute to flavour. Protein isolates, before and after heating, will be used in the interaction studies, initially with a single flavor compound. Interactions with wheat proteins will be analyzed for comparison. This will be expanded to interactions between protein isolates and combinations of small molecules. As low levels of polysaccharides and enzymes can improve protein gelation, the impact of flavor molecules on these mixed systems will also be evaluated. Analysis of bound volatile flavors will be done with gas chromatography. Changes in protein will be determined using size exclusion chromatography and differential scanning calorimetry. Network formation from the complexes will be evaluated using a range of texture measurements and the flavor profiles will be evaluated using the electronic nose and tongue. It is expected that there will be an interaction between the protein and the small flavor molecules that will cause a decrease in the flavour intensity and gel strength. The degree of binding is expected to vary with the protein source and the level of protein denaturation. Knowledge of this variability will aid in the incorporation of pulse flours and fractions into traditional and novel foods.