Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
8.7
5.1
Journals
Foods
Special Issues
Recent Research on Function and Structure of Plant-Based Food Protein
share announcement

Recent Research on Function and Structure of Plant-Based Food Protein

A special issue of Foods (ISSN 2304-8158). This special issue belongs to the section "Food Physics and (Bio)Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 9 July 2026 | Viewed by 3539

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bo Jiao

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Agro-Products Processing, Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing 100193, China
Interests: plant protein; polysaccharide; colloidal particle; pickering emulsion; enzymes; biphasic catalysis; milk alternatives; delivery system
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Lei Dai

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Engineering, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China
Interests: emulsions; plant-based food; delivery system; nanoparticle; intelligent biopolymer food packaging; functional food; digestive properties; protein corona
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Peng Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Food Science and Technology, Bohai University, Jinzhou 121013, China
Interests: grains; by-products; functional products; delivery system; food active factors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-based food proteins have garnered significant research interest due to their sustainability, nutritional value, and diverse functional attributes. This Special Issue highlights recent advancements in understanding protein structure–function relationships. Covered topics include structural modifications to enhance a broad range of functional properties such as emulsification, gelation, foaming, and solubility, and the identification of emerging plant protein sources. Additionally, articles discuss protein–protein/protein–polysaccharide/protein–small molecule functional active substance interactions, assembly behavior impacting food texture and stability, and novel applications in plant-based dairy and meat alternatives. This collection aims to offer valuable insights into improving the overall functionality and application potential of plant-based proteins in the evolving food industry.

Dr. Bo Jiao
Prof. Dr. Lei Dai
Dr. Peng Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Foods is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • plant-based
  • food proteins
  • protein structure-function·relationships
  • structural modifications
  • functional properties
  • identification of emerging plant protein sources
  • small molecule functional active substance interactions

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 6326 KB  
Article
The Influence of pH-Driven Interaction Between Soy Protein Isolate and Soy Isoflavones on the Structural and Functional Properties of Their Complexes
by Jing Yang, Yanling Lu, Yanmei Deng, Jiaojiao Yang, Lei Guo and Fangyu Fan
Foods 2025, 14(22), 3951; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14223951 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 502
Abstract
Soy protein isolate (SPI)–soy isoflavone (SI) complexes were prepared via a pH-driven method at varying SI concentrations (0–7.0 mg/mL) to study their interactions and to analyze the structural and functional characteristics of the complexes. The findings showed that the SPI-SI complexes’ particle size [...] Read more.
Soy protein isolate (SPI)–soy isoflavone (SI) complexes were prepared via a pH-driven method at varying SI concentrations (0–7.0 mg/mL) to study their interactions and to analyze the structural and functional characteristics of the complexes. The findings showed that the SPI-SI complexes’ particle size first reduced and then rose with higher SI concentration. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed a reduction in β-sheet content (35.72%), indicating a limited structural rearrangement toward increased conformational flexibility. Consistently, fluorescence spectroscopy revealed that the fluorescence intensity of SPI diminished with the addition of SI, suggesting hydrogen-bond-mediated interactions. At 3.0 mg/mL SI, the complexes exhibited optimal physicochemical properties, with the most negative zeta potential (−29.78 mV), a solubility increase from 41.90% to 64.70%, and an elevated denaturation temperature from 86.77 °C to 88.79 °C, as well as 1.25-fold higher emulsifying capacity, and 1.86-fold greater emulsion stability; collectively establishing 3.0 mg/mL SI as the concentration where functional advantages are maximized. Overall, these findings demonstrate that pH-induced, non-covalent SPI-SI complexation effectively modulates protein conformation and interfacial properties, providing a green and effective approach for enhancing plant protein functionality in food systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research on Function and Structure of Plant-Based Food Protein)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 1615 KB  
Article
Organic Acid-Induced Structural Modifications Improve Melt-Stretch Properties and Mouthfeel of Plant-Based Cheese Alternatives
by Can Xu, Lijun Liu, Jia Liu, Fayin Ye, Cuilan Fang and Lin Lei
Foods 2025, 14(21), 3724; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14213724 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1911
Abstract
Developing plant-based cheeses that replicate the melt-stretch property of dairy cheese remains challenging because plant proteins are brittle and thermally unstable. We hypothesized that combining acetic acid (plasticizer) with lactic or citric acid (acidulants) would enhance the melt-stretch behavior of zein-based cheese alternatives. [...] Read more.
Developing plant-based cheeses that replicate the melt-stretch property of dairy cheese remains challenging because plant proteins are brittle and thermally unstable. We hypothesized that combining acetic acid (plasticizer) with lactic or citric acid (acidulants) would enhance the melt-stretch behavior of zein-based cheese alternatives. Small-angle X-ray scattering analysis showed that the zein network formed semi-crystalline lamellar structures. Acetic acid promoted smaller, more uniformly distributed oil droplets and a denser protein matrix. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and rheological results indicated appropriate combinations of acetic acid and acidulants, which increased protein structural disorder and network flexibility. Melt-stretch and tribological evaluations further confirmed that the L/A2 formulation (lactic acid: acetic acid = 2:1) achieved a stretch length of 19.5 cm and a transition speed of 0.38 mm/s, closely resembling Cheddar cheese (26.2 cm; 0.38 mm/s), and outperforming a commercial plant-based Violife cheese (2.5 cm; 597.16 mm/s). This study provides practical guidance for designing appealing, allergen-conscious dairy alternatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research on Function and Structure of Plant-Based Food Protein)
►▼ Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Review

Jump to: Research

28 pages, 1675 KB  
Review
Mechanism and Potential of Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction for Constructing Green Production System for Lipids and Proteins
by Zefang Jiang, Jiaqi Chen, Xin Guo, Fusheng Chen, Xingfeng Guo, Qiang Wang and Bo Jiao
Foods 2025, 14(23), 3981; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14233981 - 21 Nov 2025
Viewed by 893
Abstract
Conventional oil extraction methods face challenges such as nutrient loss, solvent residues, and protein denaturation. Aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE), as a green alternative, offers mild processing and environmental benefits. However, its application is hindered by inefficient release of intracellular components due to rigid [...] Read more.
Conventional oil extraction methods face challenges such as nutrient loss, solvent residues, and protein denaturation. Aqueous enzymatic extraction (AEE), as a green alternative, offers mild processing and environmental benefits. However, its application is hindered by inefficient release of intracellular components due to rigid cell walls, difficulties in demulsifying stable oil–water interfaces, and insufficient valorization of by-products. Moreover, proteins are heterogeneously distributed among aqueous, emulsion, and solid phases with distinct functionalities, yet research remains disproportionately focused on aqueous-phase proteins, leading to suboptimal resource utilization. This study aims to elucidate targeted cell wall disruption mechanisms and the dynamic interplay between oil release and emulsion formation during enzymatic hydrolysis. By integrating physical-assisted technologies, we establish an oil–protein production system that overcomes efficient oil liberation and demulsification barriers. A multi-component functional evaluation framework is developed to systematically analysis oil nutritional properties and multi-phase protein functionalities. The proposed strategy of precision cellular deconstruction, technology integration, and component valorization provides a theoretical and technical foundation for enhancing AEE efficiency, producing high-quality oils, and advancing multi-phase protein functionalization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Research on Function and Structure of Plant-Based Food Protein)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop