Jul 2026· Current Research in Food Science· Vol 13, pp. 101515· 0 citations· 47 references
Medicine
Abstract
Soy protein isolate (SPI)–polysaccharide-stabilized high internal phase emulsions (HIPEs) are promising fat alternatives for meat analogs. However, the distinct contributions of polysaccharide charge and viscosity to emulsion formation, stabilization and meat analog quality remain unclear. This study systematically investigated five polysaccharides with different charges and viscosities, namely cationic chitosan (CS), neutral locust bean gum (LBG) and guar gum (GG), and anionic xanthan gum (XG) and high methoxyl pectin (HP), in modulating SPI structure, HIPE performance, and plant-based patty quality. Results showed that polysaccharide charge dominated SPI-polysaccharide interactions and dictated SPI conformational remodeling. Neutral polysaccharides interacted with SPI through hydrogen bonding/hydrophobic interactions, significantly increasing the β-sheet content (GG: from 35.91% to 43.23%), and achieving the smallest initial droplet size through a high interfacial adsorption rate (GG: 6.81 μm). During emulsion stabilization and flavor retention, viscosity was the predominant factor. High-viscosity XG and GG excelled in inhibiting droplet aggregation, reducing gravitational separation, and maximizing volatile flavor retention under both heating and storage. At the application stage, viscosity predominantly influenced the hardness of patties. This study reveals the division of labor between polysaccharide charge and viscosity across different performance dimensions of HIPEs, guiding polysaccharide selection for tailoring HIPEs in meat analogs.
Interpenetrating network emulsion gels were fabricated from pea protein isolate (PPI) and polysaccharides with different charges: anionic Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch gum (ASKG) or neutral curdlan (CURD). Microstructure, molecular interactions, rheology, texture, water holding capacity (WHC), cooking properties, and freeze-thaw stability were characterized. PPI-ASKG reduced oil droplet size compared to PPI-CURD. Polysaccharides modulated protein secondary structure, with hydrophobic attraction and hydrogen bonding as dominant intermolecular forces. The PPI-ASKG gels formed a thicker oil-water interfacial layer, contributing to superior viscoelasticity, WHC, and cooking performance. A preferred formulation with 0.3 wt% ASKG (A3) displayed the highest Q fator (23.62), thixotropic recovery rate (90.50%), strain-stiffening/thickening indices, and lowest freeze-thaw syneresis (22.4%), well-preserved texture and a reduced freezing point of -19.05 °C. All emulsion gels with 0.2-0.4 wt% polysaccharides met International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative Level 5 criteria. This work provides a scientific basis for developing plant-based dysphagia-targeted foods with excellent freeze-thaw stability.
This study investigates how electrostatic interactions between whey protein isolate (WPI) and polysaccharides (konjac glucomannan, guar gum, pectin, sodium alginate, chitosan) affect the stability and encapsulation of high-internal-phase emulsions (HIPEs, oil fraction >74%), revealing charge-driven structural and network stabilization mechanisms. The findings demonstrate that anionic WPI (pH 7.0) alone was more effective than cationic WPI (pH 4.0) in stabilizing oil-in-water HIPEs. Neutral polysaccharides enhanced emulsifying performance through viscosity-induced stabilization. While electrostatic repulsion increased ζ-potential of the complexes, thereby synergistically strengthening hydrophobic interaction-driven emulsifying activity. In contrast, excessive attraction (pectin, ζ-potential -17.0 mV) destabilized structural network through bridging or depletion flocculation, whereas moderate attraction (sodium alginate, ζ-potential -11.5 mV), facilitated the formation of stable emulsion systems. Notably, sodium alginate-WPI systems demonstrated robust stability (for 4 months) across all electrostatic conditions and offered excellent biocompatibility (<5%) and probiotic protection (>9.05 log CFU/mL). Collectively, these findings elucidate the mechanism of electrostatic tuning in stabilization of HIPEs, providing a promising approach for probiotics delivery.
The application of gelatin in low-oil emulsions is frequently limited by poor stability. In this study, gelatin-based complexes were respectively constructed with sodium alginate (SA), hyaluronic acid (HA), or Tremella fuciformis polysaccharide (TP), three anionic polysaccharides with distinct molecular architectures. The effects of polysaccharide type and concentration (0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3%, w/v) on the physicochemical characteristics of the complexes and their emulsifying performance were systematically investigated. Non-covalent interactions including electrostatic attraction and hydrogen bonding induced structural unfolding of gelatin, significantly increasing surface hydrophobicity and three-phase contact angle. Notably, the polysaccharide concentration of 0.2% was identified as an optimal balance point. SA exerted the strongest electrostatic contraction, inducing the formation of compact nanospheres. In contrast, HA exhibited steric-dominated aggregation, whereas TP formed branched-structure-mediated spherical assemblies stabilized by a hydrated surface layer and structural reinforcement. Furthermore, emulsions stabilized by gelatin-polysaccharide complexes exhibited more uniform droplet size distributions and markedly enhanced stability. These findings provid a potential strategy for overcoming the instability of low-oil emulsions and may facilitate the development of more stable and healthier instant soup products.
Xinyu Kou, Jinxuan Cao, Jinpeng Wang et al.· Food Chemistry· 0 citations
Pre-velveting foods suffer from significant flavor loss and limited shelf life during storage, motivating a demand for multifunctional starch-based carriers. To address this, corn starch (CS)-soy protein isolate (SPI) coacervates with varying CS ratios were fabricated to encapsulate fennel essential oil (FEO), yielding a pre-velveting material with antimicrobial and flavor-enhancing properties. Results indicated that higher CS/SPI ratios (4,1 and 5,1) enhanced viscoelasticity and reduced particle size by forming a dense polysaccharide-protein network that inhibited FEO aggregation compared with the lower ratios. The resulting microcapsules (CSSP4 and CSSP5) similarly demonstrated improved DPPH radical scavenging capacity (59.49% and 56.15%, respectively) and enhanced thermal stability. SEM and XRD confirmed increased cross-linking of CS upon coacervation with SPI, which provided the basis for the improved encapsulation efficiency of FEO via the dense structure, while FTIR and molecular dynamics simulations indicated that this structure was primarily driven by hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions between CS and SPI, and the starch-protein interface was visualized. Electronic nose combined with GC-MS analyses identified anethole as the primary flavor compound of FEO microcapsules and showed that the stable structure delayed its release, with CSSP4 exhibiting the slowest release due to its higher density. Furthermore, among all formulations, CSSP4 showed the lowest TBARS values and pH increase, as well as the most favorable volatile profile and improved textural properties in cooked chicken cubes. This study presents a novel starch-based carrier designed to improve flavor retention and extend the shelf life of pre-velveting foods.
Hengpeng Wang, Yang Meng, Yiwei Jin et al.· Food Research International· 0 citations
Plant-based meat analogues produced by high-moisture extrusion (HME) often exhibit insufficient fibrous texture and structural stability. This study investigated the effects of hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HDP) addition to a soy protein isolate-wheat gluten (SPI-WG) matrix on fibrous structure formation during HME. Formulations containing different HDP levels were evaluated for rheological behavior, textural properties, degree of texturization, water-holding and oil-holding capacities, water distribution, microstructure, intermolecular interactions, protein conformation, and thermal stability. Dead-stop sampling was further used to trace structural evolution in different extrusion zones, including the mixing, cooking, die, and cooling zones, as well as in the final extrudates. Among the tested formulations, 9% HDP showed the best overall performance, increasing the degree of texturization from 1.33 to 2.25 and achieving the highest water-holding and oil-holding capacities of 3.04 and 1.32 g/g, respectively. Mechanistic analysis indicated that HDP improved the physical mixing, hydration, and dispersion of the protein-starch matrix in the mixing zone, facilitated protein unfolding and sulfhydryl exposure in the cooking zone, and improved matrix continuity and molecular alignment in the die zone. During cooling and final structure formation, HDP favored the recovery of non-covalent interactions, β-sheet enrichment, and disulfide bond formation, thereby enhancing thermal stability. These results suggest that HDP functions as a structure-regulating starch ingredient during HME, providing a practical strategy for improving the fibrous quality of plant-based meat analogues.
Xinghui Wu, Chengfu Chang, Yang Gao et al.· Food Research International· 0 citations
In this study, phytic acid (PA) was employed as a multifunctional crosslinking agent to fabricate dual-crosslinked composite films based on soy protein isolate (SPI) and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), with glycerol as a plasticizer and gelatin as a processing aid to improve film flexibility and processability, thereby overcoming the performance decline of conventional soy protein-based films under high-humidity conditions. The structural, mechanical, hydrophobic, thermal, and barrier properties of the films were systematically characterized. The results demonstrated that PA-mediated dual crosslinking significantly enhanced the overall performance of the composite films. The optimized formulation (SPI-0.5CMC-PA) exhibited a water contact angle of 106.91°, indicating substantially improved surface hydrophobicity. Meanwhile, the dual-crosslinking network simultaneously increased both tensile strength and elongation at break, reaching 13.22 MPa and 39.93%, respectively, accompanied by enhanced thermal stability. XRD and DSC analyses confirmed excellent compatibility components, revealing a more amorphous yet structurally intact network without phase separation. FTIR spectra further verified the formation of electrostatic salt bridges and hydrogen-bonding interactions within the PA-mediated dual-crosslinked network. Overall, this dual-crosslinking strategy yields a green, mechanically robust, and hydrophobic film, demonstrating significant promise for moisture-resistant food packaging while offering a new route to bio-based hydrophobic materials.
X. Ji, J. K. Wang, Z. Chen et al.· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
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