Evaluation of physical and enzymatic processes for producing pea protein microgels

Abstract

Protein microgels are kinetically stable structures formed by chemical bounds between protein molecules. They are flexible particles which can deform, acquiring different morphologies when exposed to environmental stimuli (mainly differences between interfacial tension and shear forces). Protein microgels may be obtained from relatively simple way, by using physical, chemical, or enzymatic techniques. Such microgels can be applied to modulate food texture, mimic fat globules in low-calorie foods and stabilize interfaces, giving rise, for example, to Pickering emulsions. The versatility of microgels denotes their complexity and application potential. In view of this, this research project aims to evaluate the impact of different processes on the characteristics of pea protein microgel dispersions. In this way, pea protein microgels will be produced physically (high-intensity ultrasound) and enzymatically (transglutaminase cross-linking) and evaluated regarding to the composition of the continuous phase, particles' morphology, physicochemical characteristics, and rheological properties. With the execution of this research project, it is expected to establish a relationship between the processing and the characteristics of the protein microgels' dispersion obtained, to predict potential food applications for such microgels.