6533b860fe1ef96bd12c40c3

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Etude des interactions dans la formation d'agrégats thermiques mixtes entre globulines de pois et béta-lactoglobuline : application à l'élaboration de gels acides

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In the context of protein source diversification, pea protein is a promising ingredient and may be associated with milk proteins such as whey proteins in the production of new food products. In the present work, the thermal aggregation (85°C - 1 h) of pea globulins (Glob) alone and in admixture with β-lactoglobulin (βlg), prior to acid gelation, was studied as a function of total protein concentration, βlg/Glob weight ratio and ionic strength. The characterization of soluble aggregates was carried out by combining different analytical methods such as surface hydrophobicity determination, disulfide bridge quantification, dynamic light scattering (DLS), size exclusion chromatography (SEC-HPLC) and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis. The formation of mixed aggregates seems to be governed by non-covalent intermolecular interactions, but also by covalent bonds between βlg and legumin subunits at low ionic strength (5 mM NaCl). The latter seem to control the structural features of mixed aggregates (high molecular weight and reduced diameter 150 nm). The second part of this work investigated the formation of acid gels by glucono-δ-lactone, obtained either from soluble mixed aggregates such as characterized previously, either from mixtures of thermal aggregates of the two proteins prepared separately. The parameters associated to acidification kinetics and gelation (time and pH at sol/gel transition, mechanical properties by dynamic rheology and microstructure analysis by Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopy, water holding capacity) were evaluated. The results showed that mixed aggregates from heat-treated initial mixtures of the two proteins provides more elastic acid gels with a more regular and less porous fibrillar structure having close characteristics to those of pure βlg gels.