Using electric field to modify wet gluten as meat analogue material: A comparative study between pulsed and direct current electric fields

• Published in: Innovative food science & emerging technologies 2023-03, Vol.84, p.103300, Article 103300
• Main Authors: Guo, Lunan, Nie, Xin-Mei, Yang, Ya-Hui, Ren, Yiping, Ding, Xiangli, Qian, Jian-Ya
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Electric field; Meat substitution; Plant-based meat; Vegetable protein; Wheat gluten
• ISSN: 1466-8564; 1878-5522
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ifset.2023.103300

To assess the efficacy of electric field (EF) on vegetable protein juice-holding and texturisation as a low denaturation processing means, the impacts of pulsed (PEF) and low direct current (DCEF) electric field on the water- (WHC) and oil-holding capacity (OHC), microstructure, texture and physical structure of wheat gluten were investigated using wet gluten dough. The results showed that the PEF and DCEF affected the WHC and OHC significantly. The PEF seemed not to affect the textural properties so severely although significant differences appeared in hardness, chewiness, gumminess, and cohesiveness; there were no significant differences either in springiness or in resilience. The DCEF had a stronger impact on all the textural indices. Scanning electronic microscopy suggested that the PEF caused smaller and uniform micropores and the DCEF derivated more continuous and compact microstructure. Fourier transform infrared spectrometry demonstrated that EF significantly altered the composition proportion of the secondary structure. A slight blue shifts of UV spectra, a red shift of fluorescence spectra, and an increased surface hydrophobicity of gluten could be observed after EF treatment. X-ray diffractometry demonstrated that the EF significantly made the physical structure of wet gluten compacter. The results suggested that EF is promising in vegetable protein texturisation. •Effect of Pulsed (PEF) and DC (DCEF) electric field on wet gluten compared.•Water- and oil-holding ability, texture, microstructure, physical structure investigated.•PEF and DCEF affected texture and microstructure as massager and presser.•Both fields caused alteration of secondary and tertiary structure.