Food Hydrocolloids 154 (2024) 110106
2
on the oil-water interface enough to form a stable emulsion (Zhao, Liu,
Zhao, Ren, & Yang, 2011). Under the induction of acid and heat, pro-
teins denature and then self-assembled to form aggregates, such as -
brils, particles and amorphous structure (Akkermans et al., 2008).
Among these self-assembly behaviors, brosis improves the emulsifying
ability of proteins (Serfert et al., 2014). Compared with natural proteins,
protein brils present higher emulsifying activity and higher emulsi-
fying stability (Gao et ai., 2017a). Protein brillation is considered as a
promising strategy to improve the functional properties of natural pro-
teins in food science (Mohammadian & Madadlou, 2018). However,
there are few reports about the brillation of PPI.
Addition of thickener into the formula can facilitate the oleogels
forming porous microstructure and improve the gel network structure
strength and the oil holding capacity. Proteins and polysaccharides can
be used as thickeners to improve the chemical stability of O/W emulsion
by interfacial complexation (Zhang et al., 2020). The interaction be-
tween proteins and polysaccharides through hydrogen bonding and
hydrophobic interactions can improve the oil holding capacity, rheo-
logical properties and structural properties of the oleogels (Mohanan,
Tang, Nickerson, & Ghosh, 2020). Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a kind
of high molecular weight water-soluble neutral plant polysaccharide
extracted from konjac tuber (Li et al., 2015; Mao, Klinthong, Zeng, &
Chen, 2012). As a hydrophilic colloid, it usually act as a thickener in
food gel (Huang, Takahashi, Kobayashi, Kawase, & Nishinari, 2002). It
has been proved that the mixture combining KGM with soy protein
isolate (SPI) allowed the corresponding mixed gel to become more stable
than single-KGM gel and single-SPI gel (Wang, Yao, Jian, Sun, & Pang,
2010; Yin & Zhang, 2007).
The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of PPI acid-
thermal denaturation product at different heating time on the stability
and physical properties of emulsion and oleogels and the application
feasibility of the obtained oleogels instead of butter in baking. Firstly,
the interfacial and structural properties of thermally denatured PPI with
different heating time were evaluated and compared. Secondly, the
oleogels was prepared by emulsion-template method and characterized
by rheology, microscope, X-ray diffractometer and Fourier transform
infrared spectroscopy, and the freeze-thaw stabilities of the oleogels
were also investigated. In the end, the sensory evaluation and texture
properties of Marguerite biscuits prepared by partially replacing butter
with oleogels were characterized. Overall, this work attempted to
develop the theoretical basis for the plant-based oleogels recipe, and
expand the application of oleogels as fat replacer products.
2. Materials and methods
2.1. Materials
Peanut protein isolate (PPI) was provided by Yuanye Biotechnology
Co., Ltd (Songjiang, Shanghai Province, China); Soybean oil was bought
from the local supermarket. Konjac glucomannan (KGM, food grade)
was supplied by Qiang Sen konjac Technology Co., Ltd (Ehua, Hubei
Province, China). Thioavin T (Th T) was obtained from Ryon Biological
Technology Co., Ltd (Shanghai, China). Nile red was purchased from BBI
Life Sciences Co. (Shanghai, China). Millipore-Q water was used for the
dissolution of powder samples.
2.2. Preparation of thermal-denatured PPI
The thermal-denatured PPI was prepared according to Liu’s method
with some modication. The PPI suspension (0.08 g/mL, w/v) was
prepared by dispersing the PPI powder in distilled water, the mixture
was stirred at 600 rpm for 4 h and then left overnight at 4 ◦C for full
hydration of the proteins. The pH of the PPI solution after the storage
was adjusted to 2.0 using 1 M HCl. The PPI suspension was heated at
90 ◦C for 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h, 10 h, and then immediately cooled in an ice
bath to room temperature. The proteins heated for 0h, 2 h, 4 h, 6 h, 8 h
and 10 h were designated as PPI, HPPI
2
, HPPI
4
, HPPI
6
, HPPI
8
, and
HPPI
10.
2.3. Characterization of PPI and thermal-denatured PPI
2.3.1. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
According to the method of Feng et al. (2019), the morphological
characteristics of PPI and thermally denatured PPI were evaluated by
TEM (HT-7700, Hitachi Company, Japan). The samples were diluted 40
times with Milli-Q water. A drop of the sample was transferred to a
copper mesh on the carbon lm, placed for 15 min, and then it was dyed
with 2% uranyl acetate for 8 min. Finally, the treated samples were
observed by transmission electron microscope.
2.3.2. Particle size distribution and zeta potential of PPI and thermal-
denatured PPI
The zeta potential and average particle size of the samples were
measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS) (Nano-ZS90, Malvern,
UK) at 25 ◦C. The sample was diluted to 0.05 mg/mL with millipore-Q
water before each measurement to meet the determination re-
quirements. Next, about 1 mL of the sample was injected into the quartz
cuvette, then the zeta potential and particle size distribution were tested
respectively. All measurements were conducted at 25 ◦C for three times.
The refractive index of the dispersed phase was set to 1.33.
2.3.3. ThT uorescence spectroscopy
The ThT spectroscopic assay was used to monitor the thermal-
denatured PPI over time. The powder of ThT was dissolved in the
phosphate buffer (10 mM, pH 7.0) to prepare the ThT stock solution.
Then the stock solution of ThT was ltered by a 0.22
μ
M lter. The
collected ThT stock solution was diluted 50 times with phosphate buffer
(10 mM, pH 7.0) to obtain the working solution, and then 50
μ
L of the
sample was mixed with 4 mL of the ThT working solution. The con-
centration of ThT working solution was 0.16 mg/mL, and the proteins
concentration detected by THT were 0.8 mg/mL. The ThT uorescence
intensity of the sample was determined with the excitation wavelength
of 440 nm and the emission wavelength of 490 nm using a uorescence
spectrophotometer (F-7000, Hitachi Co., Japan).
According to the results of ThT uorescence, the bril conversion
rate of acid-thermal denaturated PPI was calculated with the following
formula (Suzanne, Leonard, Paul, & Erik, 2007).
Cfibril =K[(IThT −I0)/I0]
Where, C
bril
is the percentage of protein converted into bril, wt%; K is
a linear constant (0.35); I
ThT
and I
0
are the ThT uorescence intensity of
the sample and the uorescence background value of the working so-
lution, respectively.
2.3.4. Interfacial tension measurement
The interfacial tension of the PPI and the thermal-denatured PPI was
measured using a Drop Shape Analyzer-DSA100 (Krüss GmbH,
Hamburg, Germany) equipped with a hanging drop device for recording
the change of the interfacial tension (
σ
) at the soybean oil–PPI and
thermal-denatured PPI interface with the adsorption time (t). A small
amount of surface active ingredients are present in commercial soybean
oil. Oil purication was thus conducted to prevent interference with the
surface tension results. Purication was performed using a method
described by Gaonkar with modications (Gaonkar, 1989). One percent
(w/v) of silicon-magnesium adsorbent was added to soybean oil, and the
sample was stirred for 2 h at 2000 rpm and then centrifuged at 11,000
rpm for 30 min. This operation was repeated three times. A stainless
steel needle connected to the syringe (outer diameter 1.832 mm) was
inserted into a glass container lled with the puried soybean oil. PPI
and thermal-denatured PPI suspensions diluted with millipore-Q water
to 1000 times were placed in a syringe with a drop on the tip of the
K. Wang et al.