Functional Properties of Protein Hydrolysates in Food Systems

Protein hydrolysates, produced by controlled enzymatic cleavage of parent proteins, have emerged as versatile ingredients in diverse food matrices. Enzymatic hydrolysis reduces molecular weight, exposes polar and non-polar side chains and alters tertiary structure, yielding peptides with enhanced solubility, emulsifying and foaming capacities, as well as improved water- and oil-holding characteristics. These modified proteins can stabilise emulsions, improve texture and mouthfeel, and deliver bioactive peptides with antioxidant or antihypertensive properties. Functional attributes depend on the degree of hydrolysis, enzyme specificity and reaction conditions, enabling tailored applications in dairy alternatives, meat analogues, bakery products and nutritional beverages. By controlling hydrolysis parameters, it is possible to produce hydrolysates with minimal bitterness and optimal interfacial activity, thereby meeting clean-label and plant-based market demands. The global significance of this field lies in valorising agro-industrial by-products, reducing allergenicity and enhancing nutritional and sensory profiles across food systems.

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Functional Properties of Protein Hydrolysates in Food Systems publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in functional properties of protein hydrolysates in food systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Emulsifying activity index (EAI): measure of ability to form and stabilise oil–water emulsions.

Degree of hydrolysis (DH): percentage of peptide bonds cleaved during enzymatic hydrolysis.

Surface hydrophobicity: exposure of non-polar regions on peptides that influences interfacial interactions.

Water-holding capacity: ability of a hydrolysate to retain water within a food matrix.

Oil-holding capacity: capacity of hydrolysates to bind and hold oil under specific conditions.

References

1. Improvement of Functional Properties of Wheat Gluten Using Acid Protease from Aspergillus usamii. PLOS ONE (2016).
2. Production of hydrophobic amino acids from biobased resources: wheat gluten and rubber seed proteins. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology (2016).
3. Application of AprX from Pseudomonas paralactis for the improvement of the emulsifying properties of milk, plant and insect protein and estimation of their hydrolysate’s bitter potential. European Food Research and Technology (2024).