Tailoring the Techno-Functional Properties of Fava Bean Protein Isolates: A Comparative Evaluation of Ultrasonication and Pulsed Electric Field Treatments
Saqib Gulzar, Olga Martı́n-Belloso, Robert Soliva‐Fortuny
Foods
Abstract
The fava bean protein isolate (FBPI) holds promise as a sustainable plant-based protein ingredient. However, native FBPIs exhibit limited functionality, including unsuitable emulsifying activities and a low solubility at a neutral pH, restricting their applications. This study is focused on the effect of ultrasonication (US) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) on modulating the techno-functional properties of FBPIs. Native FBPIs were treated with US at amplitudes of 60-90% for 30 min in 0.5 s on-and-off cycles and with PEF at an electric field intensity of 1.5 kV/cm with 1000-4000 pulses of 20 μs pulse widths. US caused a reduction in the size and charge of the FBPIs more prominently than the PEF. Protein characterization by means of SDS-PAGE illustrated that US and PEF caused severe-to-moderate changes in the molecular weight of the FBPIs. In addition, a spectroscopic analysis using Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and circular dichroism (CD) revealed that US and the PEF induced conformational changes through partial unfolding and secondary structure remodeling from an α-helix to a β-sheet. Crystallographic and calorimetric determinations indicated decreased crystallinity and lowered thermal transition temperatures of the US- and PEF-modified FBPIs. Overall, non-thermal processing provided an effective strategy for upgrading FBPIs' functionality, with implications for developing competitive plant-based protein alternatives.
Extracted Claims
8 claims extracted from this paper into the knowledge graph
pulsed electric fields causes severe-to-moderate changes in molecular weight of FBPIs
“Protein characterization by means of SDS-PAGE illustrated that US and PEF caused severe-to-moderate changes in the molecular weight of the FBPIs”
pulsed electric fields decreases crystallinity and thermal transition temperatures of FBPIs
“Crystallographic and calorimetric determinations indicated decreased crystallinity and lowered thermal transition temperatures of the US- and PEF-modified FBPIs”
ultrasonication induces conformational changes through partial unfolding and secondary structure remodeling from an α-helix to a β-sheet
“US and the PEF induced conformational changes through partial unfolding and secondary structure remodeling from an α-helix to a β-sheet”