Encapsulation of pea protein in an alginate matrix by cold set gelation method and use of the capsules in fruit juices

• Published in: Journal of food science 2020-10, Vol.85 (10), p.3423-3431
• Main Authors: Narin, Ceren, Ertugrul, Ulku, Tas, Ozan, Sahin, Serpil, Oztop, Mecit Halil
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: alginate; Alginates - chemistry; Alginic acid; Beads; Capsules; cold set gelation; Encapsulation; Flavor; Food; Food Handling - methods; Food plants; Fruit and Vegetable Juices - analysis; fruit juice; Fruit juices; Fruits; Gelation; Gels; Glucuronic Acid; Hexuronic Acids; Juices; Microcapsules; Microencapsulation; Morphology; NMR; Nuclear magnetic resonance; Nutrient content; Odor; Odors; Particle Size; pea protein; Pea Proteins - chemistry; Peas; Pectin; Pectins; Plant-based foods; Proteins; Rheological properties; Sensory evaluation; Sensory properties; Sodium alginate; Stability
• ISSN: 0022-1147; 1750-3841
• DOI: 10.1111/1750-3841.15433

Plant‐based proteins gained importance in recent years due to the increase in the awareness of healthy diet and in the consumption of plant‐based foods. However, some features of plant‐based proteins like the undesirable odor and flavor affect the sensorial properties of protein containing foods. Therefore, encapsulation of these proteins could be a good strategy to tackle with this problem. The objective of this study was to design microcapsules (beads) consisting of pea protein by using sodium alginate and to investigate the effect of different alginate concentrations (1.0, 1.5, and 2.0%) on the protein content, encapsulation efficiency, particle size, bead stability, and the morphology of the capsules and then add them to different fruit juices (pomegranate and melon) and examine the release behavior from the capsules. Rheological behavior of the juices including pectin were also investigated. TD‐ nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry analysis through T2 relaxation times was conducted on the capsules to observe the changes in the beads. In conclusion, alginate was found to be a suitable encapsulation coating for pea protein. Beads containing 1% alginate concentration was found to be the most effective with respect to protein content and bead stability. Practical Application This study aims to design and characterize pea protein containing microcapsules capsules and their utilization in fruit juices. The study itself focused on a specific application on the fruit juices.