Effects of quinoa protein Pickering emulsion on the properties, structure and intermolecular interactions of myofibrillar protein gel

The effects of quinoa protein Pickering emulsion (QPE) on the gel properties, protein structure and intermolecular interactions of myofibrillar protein (MP) gels were studied. Compared with the MP gels without QPE, the MP gels with 5.0%-7.5% added QPE showed significant increasing trends in storage modulus (G '), whiteness, gel strength and water holding capacity (WHC). The content of disulfide bonds in the gel increased with the addition of QPE and the disulfide bond conformation changed from gauche-gauche-gauche to gauche-gauche-trans. Moreover, the increase of hydrogen bonds after QPE addition confirmed the transformation from alpha-helix to beta-sheet, as beta-sheet structure was stabilized by interchain hydrogen bonds. The added QPE also enhanced the hydrophobic interaction and electrostatic interaction of MP gels. To conclude, the addition of 5.0%-7.5% QPE improved the intermolecular interactions and the structure stability of MP gels, and enhanced the gelation and WHC of MP gels.

Automated summary

This study investigated the effects of quinoa protein Pickering emulsion (QPE) on the gel properties, protein structure, and intermolecular interactions of myofibrillar protein (MP) gels. The addition of 5.0%-7.5% QPE significantly improved the storage modulus, whiteness, gel strength, and water holding capacity of MP gels. It also increased the content and altered the conformation of disulfide bonds, transformed the protein structure from alpha-helix to beta-sheet, and enhanced hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions in the gels.