New insights into tailoring physicochemical and techno-functional properties of plant proteins using conventional and emerging technologies

In recent years, there is a huge growth in the popularity of plant-based proteins due to their health-promoting effects, being environment friendly, overcoming malnutrition and sustainability challenges. Cereals, pseudo cereals, oilseeds, legumes and nuts are the major sources of plant proteins and they exhibit several health-promoting effects like cholesterol-lowering, antimicrobial, antioxidant, antidiabetic and antitumor. In comparison to animal proteins, they have not been explored as key ingredients due to limitations in their functional properties like solubility, gelation, water holding capacity (WHC), emulsifying and foaming properties. These techno-functional properties play an important role in the development of plant-based food products such as beverages, bakery and meat analogues. Also, the digestibility of plant-based proteins is lower than animal proteins due to the presence of various antinutritional factors (ANFs). Utilizing novel and emerging processing technologies like high-pressure processing, microfluidization, electrospraying, pulsed electric field, cold plasma technology and ultrasounds for processing plant proteins can considerably enhance the quality, functionality and digestibility of protein isolates, concentrates and hydrolysates. Modifications brought by these techniques increase the application of plant proteins as an encapsulating agent, emulsifier, texturizer, film former and foam stabilizer. This review provides an overview of different processing techniques employed to improve their physicochemical, rheological, structural, nutritional and techno-functional properties and to increase their application as a functional ingredient.

Automated summary

The popularity of plant-based proteins has greatly increased in recent years due to their health-promoting effects, environmental friendliness, the ability to overcome malnutrition and sustainability challenges. However, their functional properties have limited their use as key ingredients in comparison to animal proteins. Plant proteins have lower digestibility and lack certain techno-functional properties required for the development of plant-based food products. In order to improve the quality, functionality, and digestibility of plant proteins, novel processing technologies such as high-pressure processing, microfluidization, electrospraying, and ultrasounds have been employed. These techniques enhance the application of plant proteins as functional ingredients, increasing their solubility, gelation, water holding capacity, emulsifying, and foaming properties.