Plant protein-based fibers: Fabrication, characterization, and potential food applications

Abstract

Proteins from plants have been considered as safer, healthier, and more sustainable resources than their animal counterparts. However, incomplete amino acid composition and relatively poor functionality limit their applications in foods. Structuring plant proteins to fibrous architectures enhances their physicochemical properties, which can favor various food applications. This review primarily focuses on fabrication of fibers from plant proteins via self-assembly, electrospinning, solution blow spinning, wet spinning, and high-temperature shear, as well as on several applications where such fibrous proteins assemble in quality foods. The changes of protein structure and protein-protein interactions during fiber production are discussed in detail, along with the effects of fabrication conditions and protein sources on the morphology and function of the fibers. Self-assembly requires proteolysis and subsequent peptide aggregation under specific conditions, which can be influenced by pH, salt and protein type. The spinning strategy is more scalable and produces uniformed fibers with larger length scales suitable for encapsulation, food packaging and sensor substrates. Significant progress has been made on high-temperature shear (including extrusion)-induced fibers responsible for desirable texture in meat analogues. Structuring plant proteins adds values for broadened food applications, but it remains challenging to keep processes cost-effective and environmentally friendly using food grade solvents.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

• Structuring plant proteins to fibers brings outstanding physicochemical properties

• Self-assembly, spinning, and high shear are common fiber fabrication methods

• Formation mechanism, morphology, and application of fibers vary with methods used

• Fabrication conditions and protein type affects structure and function of fibers

Keywords:

• Electrospinning
• extrusion
• fibers
• protein interaction
• self-assembly

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge Molly J. Davis for proofreading of this manuscript and the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science at the Ohio State University and the United States Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture [Grant number 2017-67017-26467] for partial funding of this research.

Author contributions

Da Chen: Conceptualization, Formal Analysis, Investigation, Writing- Original Draft; Owen Jones: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing- review and editing; Osvaldo Campanella: Conceptualization, Supervision, Project administration, Writing- review and editing, Funding acquisition.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

This work was supported by the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Science at the Ohio State University.