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Proteins from Plant Food: Processing, Functionality, Flavour, and Nutritional Properties
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Proteins from Plant Food: Processing, Functionality, Flavour, and Nutritional Properties

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 4386

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Bipro Nath Dubey

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Engineering and Built Environment, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK
Interests: food colloids; plant-based proteins; food rheology; spray-drying; functional foods
Dr. Monika Doblin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
La Trobe Institute for Agriculture and Food, Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, School of Life Sciences, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
Interests: plant cell wall biosynthesis, assembly, and remodelling; cell surface polysaccharides and glycoproteins; identification and characterisation of glycosyltransferases/polysaccharide synthases; plant biotechnology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Global interest in plant-based proteins has grown significantly due to concerns over environmental sustainability, health benefits, and the need for alternative food sources. These proteins offer potential solutions to climate change and resource depletion by providing a more sustainable option compared to animal-based proteins. However, processing plant-based proteins for use in consumer foods presents numerous challenges. These include technical issues such as efficient protein extraction, sensory limitations like undesirable taste and texture, and nutritional concerns like incomplete amino acid profiles. Overcoming these barriers is essential to improving the appeal and nutritional value of plant-based products. To tackle these issues, this Special Issue on "Proteins from Plant Food: Processing, Functionality, Flavour, and Nutritional Properties" seeks to spotlight groundbreaking research in this area. This Special Issue highlights cutting-edge research addressing the growing global interest in plant-based proteins as sustainable, healthy, and versatile food sources. This Special Issue welcomes contributions covering, but not limited to, the following:

  • Innovative methods for extracting and processing plant proteins.
  • Functional properties of plant proteins and their applications in food systems.
  • Advances in flavour profiling and enhancement techniques for plant-based products.
  • Comprehensive nutritional evaluations and strategies to address limitations such as anti-nutritional factors.
  • Comparative studies of diverse plant protein sources, including legumes, grains, seeds, and novel plants.

Dr. Bipro Nath Dubey
Dr. Monika Doblin
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 protein extraction
  • functional properties of plant proteins
  • flavour optimisation in plant proteins
  • nutritional profile of plant-based foods
  • novel plant protein sources
  • protein digestibility and bioavailability
  • anti-nutritional factors
  • food processing innovations
  • fermentation and flavour enhancement
  • consumer acceptance of plant-based foods

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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27 pages, 1223 KB  
Article
Controlling Off-Odors in Plant Proteins Using Sequential Fermentation
by Manpreet Kaur, Charlotte Gray and Sheryl Barringer
Foods 2026, 15(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15010039 (registering DOI) - 23 Dec 2025
Abstract
Off-odors produced by volatile compounds remain a major barrier to consumer acceptance of plant-based proteins. This study presents a novel two-stage fermentation strategy to effectively reduce undesirable volatiles in eight plant proteins. A sequential fermentation process was developed using Lactobacillus plantarum in Stage [...] Read more.
Off-odors produced by volatile compounds remain a major barrier to consumer acceptance of plant-based proteins. This study presents a novel two-stage fermentation strategy to effectively reduce undesirable volatiles in eight plant proteins. A sequential fermentation process was developed using Lactobacillus plantarum in Stage 1 and a traditional yogurt culture, Streptococcus thermophilus, Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. Bulgaricus and Lactobacillus acidophilus, in Stage 2. This method was applied to solutions of 9% soy, pea, chickpea, mung bean, faba bean, rice, barley-rice, and hemp proteins. Volatile profiles were analyzed via Selected Ion Flow Tube Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) and sensory evaluation before and after fermentation. The two-stage fermentation resulted in significant deodorization, with 95–99% reduction in key odorants such as hexanal, 2-pentylfuran, methoxypyrazines, and sulfur compounds across all proteins. The sequential approach significantly outperformed a one-stage fermentation. Allulose enhanced L. plantarum activity while strawberry preserves supported traditional yogurt culture performance. Non-fermentable additives such as pectin, xanthan gum, and oil had minimal effects on volatiles. The proposed fermentation method offers an effective, scalable, and clean-label solution for mitigating off-odors in plant-based proteins. By leveraging microbial metabolism and formulation synergies, this strategy provides a foundation for developing more palatable plant-based dairy alternatives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proteins from Plant Food: Processing, Functionality, Flavour, and Nutritional Properties)
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19 pages, 3236 KB  
Article
Revisiting the Conventional Extraction of Protein Isolates from Faba Beans: Recovering Lost Protein from Sustainable Side Streams
by Abraham Badjona, Robert Bradshaw, Caroline Millman, Martin Howarth and Bipro Dubey
Foods 2025, 14(11), 1906; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14111906 - 28 May 2025
Viewed by 2129
Abstract
As the global demand for sustainable protein sources grows, valorizing side streams in plant protein processing has become crucial. This study revisits the conventional alkaline–isoelectric extraction of faba bean protein isolates, introducing an enhanced mass balance-driven approach to recover underutilized protein fractions from [...] Read more.
As the global demand for sustainable protein sources grows, valorizing side streams in plant protein processing has become crucial. This study revisits the conventional alkaline–isoelectric extraction of faba bean protein isolates, introducing an enhanced mass balance-driven approach to recover underutilized protein fractions from typically discarded side streams. Through strategic pH manipulation and centrifugation, four distinct protein fractions were recovered with purities ranging from 34.6% to 89.6%, collectively recapturing a significant portion of the 16% protein loss in standard processing. SDS-PAGE and FTIR analyses confirmed the structural diversity among the recovered fractions, with albumin-rich and globulin-rich profiles exhibiting unique spectral and electrophoretic signatures. Functionally, fractions B and D exhibited superior water- and oil-holding capacities, indicating their potential utility in food formulations requiring enhanced moisture and lipid retention. In contrast, fraction C, characterized by low water-holding capacity and high solubility, may be better suited to applications prioritizing emulsification performance, such as in dairy or meat analogs. This study not only highlights the feasibility of reclaiming high-quality protein from industrial byproducts but also underscores the potential of these recovered proteins in diverse food and non-food sectors, including pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. These findings contribute to circular economy strategies by transforming waste into value-added ingredients with functional and commercial significance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proteins from Plant Food: Processing, Functionality, Flavour, and Nutritional Properties)
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Review

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26 pages, 1563 KB  
Review
Extraction Techniques for Brewer’s Spent Grain Protein: A Comparative Review of Efficiency, Purity, and Functionality
by Haocheng Tong, Puxuan Zhang, Liang Zhang, Wei Zhou, Zhengte Lin, Tengfei Yu, Guanchen Liu and Donghong Liu
Foods 2025, 14(23), 4058; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14234058 - 26 Nov 2025
Viewed by 547
Abstract
Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), the primary by-product of beer production, represents a promising and sustainable source of plant-based protein. This review provides a comprehensive overview of extraction techniques for brewer’s spent grain protein (BSGP), encompassing conventional methods—such as alkaline, hydrothermal, ethanol, and enzymatic [...] Read more.
Brewer’s spent grain (BSG), the primary by-product of beer production, represents a promising and sustainable source of plant-based protein. This review provides a comprehensive overview of extraction techniques for brewer’s spent grain protein (BSGP), encompassing conventional methods—such as alkaline, hydrothermal, ethanol, and enzymatic extraction—as well as emerging green approaches, including ultrasound-assisted, microwave-assisted, subcritical water, and deep eutectic solvent extraction. The influence of key extraction parameters on protein yield, purity, and structural integrity is critically examined, along with the resultant alterations in functional properties such as solubility, emulsifying capacity, foaming ability, and gelation behavior. Although through parameter optimization and the application of novel technology, the existing research has been able to increase the protein extraction rate and achieve better functional properties, the challenges of obtaining higher protein purity and extracting proteins on a larger scale remain. Collectively, these findings underscore the considerable potential of BSGP as a multifunctional ingredient in next-generation sustainable food formulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Proteins from Plant Food: Processing, Functionality, Flavour, and Nutritional Properties)
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