Physicochemistry to Functionality: Advances in Plant Protein Ingredients for Sustainable Foods

Dear Colleagues,

Plant proteins need no introduction. Every day brings new applications for plant proteins in food products. New products are being developed based on them, and well-known ones are being modified. New sources of plant proteins are also being sought that can provide an alternative to animal protein. Such discoveries can contribute to reducing the carbon and water footprint.

Knowing and understanding their physicochemical and functional properties is essential for designing new food products. It is very important to understand the structure of native plant proteins and the changes that occur in them during extraction. In addition, knowledge of protein behavior at the gas–liquid and liquid–liquid interfaces is very important for practical reasons. A very important area of plant protein research is their physical and chemical modification. Modifications are aimed at obtaining new products/raw materials with unique functional or sensory properties.

In our Special Issue, we particularly welcome papers dealing with the following topics:

• Modern methods of plant protein extraction and its impact on their properties;
• Basic physicochemical properties of plant proteins;
• Structural properties of plant proteins;
• Properties of plant proteins at the interface;
• Physicochemical and functional characteristics of plant proteins obtained from new sources;
• Methods of physical modification: extrusion, electromagnetic radiation, ultrasound, high pressure, etc.;
• Methods of chemical modification: modification of functional groups, cross-linking, hydrolysis, etc.;
• Production of multiphase systems based on plant proteins;
• Design of new food products based on plant proteins.

Prof. Dr. Paweł Ptaszek
Prof. Dr. Anna Ptaszek
Dr. Daniel Żmudziński
Guest Editors

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