Interactions of delivery systems modulating the digestibility of plant‐based proteins

Abstract

Plant‐based proteins are gaining interest as sustainable alternatives to animal‐derived proteins, but their digestibility is often lower and strongly influenced by protein structure, processing history, and food‐matrix interactions. This review critically examines how emulsions, hydrogels, micro‐ and nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes, coacervates, protein–phenolic complexes, and macronutrient interactions regulate plant‐protein digestion. Emphasis is placed on enzyme accessibility, interfacial properties, network density, particle size, aggregation, protein conformation, and matrix organization as common mechanisms governing protein hydrolysis. The reviewed evidence indicates that delivery systems do not inherently enhance or reduce digestibility; rather, their effects depend on the balance between structural protection and enzyme accessibility. Processing history is a cross‐cutting factor that can modify protein conformation, particle size, aggregation, and network structure, thereby altering digestion kinetics. The review highlights that optimizing plant‐protein digestibility requires control of the surrounding structural environment rather than modification of the protein alone. Future research should integrate realistic food matrices, standardized dynamic digestion models, and in vivo validation to relate digestion kinetics to amino acid bioaccessibility and nutritional outcomes.