Modification of Textural Attributes of Potato Protein Gels Using Salts, Polysaccharides, and Transglutaminase: Development of Plant-Based Foods

Plant-based protein gels are being developed for the creation of meat analogs, but it is still challenging to mimic the fibrous structure and texture of real meat products, due to the molecular differences of plant and animal proteins. A simple strategy to create structured meat analogs from plant proteins is to combine them with other food ingredients (such as salts, polysaccharides, or crosslinking enzymes) to modulate their assembly and gelation properties. In this study, we investigated the impact of NaCl, pectin, and transglutaminase on the structuring and gelation properties of potato proteins. Salt addition increased the gel strength and fracture properties of the proteins gels by reducing the electrostatic interactions during gel formation. The transglutaminase increased the gel strength by forming covalent crosslinks between the potato protein molecules. Pectin addition reduced the gel strength but increased the gel malleability, while also creating a more porous and fibrous microstructure. The information obtained in this study may provide useful insights for formulating plant protein gels with more meat-like structures and textures.