Although 3D-printed meat simulation has achieved a satisfactory level of visual similarity, significant differences in textural properties compared to real meat remain a critical challenge in this field. This study proposed a "alkali-heat treatment protein-polysaccharide synergistic gel structure reinforcement" strategy to enhance the consistency between high-fidelity 3D printed full-block steak analogs and real steak. Yeast protein (YP) was used as the matrix and combined with konjac glucomannan (KGM) and xanthan gum (XG), achieving optimal printability and structural stability at a KGM/XG ratio of 1:1. Sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃) incorporation significantly restructured the gel network, thereby improving the unnatural texture of simulated meat. This effect was optimized at a 0.15% (w/w) addition level, yielding maximal gel strength and enhanced structural recovery. The formulation led to a 90.15% water-holding capacity, and the hardness, springiness and chewiness were closely aligned with those of real steak. Multiscale characterization analysis revealed that Na₂CO₃ induced protein self-assembly into spherical aggregates, which were uniformly embedded in the polysaccharide network to form a robust honeycomb-like 3D structure. Mechanistic studies indicated that alkali-heat synergy strengthened disulfide bonds and hydrogen bonding while reducing electrostatic repulsion, promoting compact protein-polysaccharide association.
Chalaza (CLZ), a byproduct generated during egg processing, has shown potential to promote calcium absorption, but its underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In a low-calcium growing rat model, coadministration of CLZ with CaCO3 dose-dependently increased apparent calcium absorption and retention, enhanced bone calcium deposition, and improved bone microarchitecture and mechanical properties compared with CaCO3 alone. These effects were accompanied by improved duodenal morphology, upregulation of intestinal calcium transport-related proteins (TRPV6, PMCA1b, and S100G/CaBP-D9k), and associated gut microbiota and SCFA changes. Representative digestion-derived peptides were synthesized and showed calcium-chelating capacity, inhibition of calcium phosphate crystallization, gastrointestinal calcium release, and thermal stability, supporting their role as exploratory calcium-binding candidates. Overall, this study supports the potential application of the high-value utilization of egg byproducts and the development of efficient calcium supplementation strategies.
Shenwan Wang, Ye Qi, Qimeng Zhou et al.· Journal of Agricultural and...· 0 citations
Capillary suspensions are ternary solid-liquid-liquid systems formed by introducing a secondary fluid into a suspension of solid particles in a bulk liquid. While previous studies have established the concept of polymer-enhanced capillary suspensions, systematic quantitative correlations between polymer concentration and rheological performance remain lacking, and the potential of cationic biopolymers in edible systems has received limited attention. This study investigates capillary suspensions comprising corn oil (bulk phase), water (secondary phase), and egg white protein (EWP) microgel (particle phase), with chitosan (CS) introduced into the aqueous phase to modulate rheological properties. The results show that the capillary-force-driven particle network can be tuned by adjusting EWP content and water fraction, with optimal solid-like behavior achieved at water saturation > 0.15 and EWP content >30 wt%. At ΦP = 30%, increasing water content from S = 0.05 to 0.19 led to a three-orders-of-magnitude increase in viscosity with shear-thinning behavior. Notably, at a CS concentration of 0.15 wt% in the aqueous secondary phase, the yield stress increased 6.69-fold, and the oil constraint capacity and network stability were also enhanced. Confocal laser scanning microscopy reveals a denser EWP particle network, while Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirms more extensive hydrogen bonding upon CS addition, consistent with the enhanced viscoelasticity. This enhancement is attributed to synergistic effects between capillary bridging and CS-mediated hydrogen bonding. Overall, this work establishes a quantitative correlation between CS concentration and rheological reinforcement, and demonstrates the feasibility of employing a cationic biopolymer to tailor edible capillary suspension networks for food applications.
Yuwei Hou, Yan Hu, Zhuo Li et al.· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations