Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review
The increasing demand for sustainable protein sources has intensified interest in improving the processing efficiency of traditional proteins and developing novel alternatives, particularly those derived from plants and algae. Among various processing technologies, pH shifting has attracted attentio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Foods |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2360 |
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| author | Ruiqi Long Yuanyuan Huang Mokhtar Dabbour Benjamin Kumah Mintah Jiayin Pan Minquan Wu Shengqi Zhang Zhou Qin Ronghai He Haile Ma |
| author_facet | Ruiqi Long Yuanyuan Huang Mokhtar Dabbour Benjamin Kumah Mintah Jiayin Pan Minquan Wu Shengqi Zhang Zhou Qin Ronghai He Haile Ma |
| author_sort | Ruiqi Long |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The increasing demand for sustainable protein sources has intensified interest in improving the processing efficiency of traditional proteins and developing novel alternatives, particularly those derived from plants and algae. Among various processing technologies, pH shifting has attracted attention due to its simplicity, low cost, and capacity to effectively alter protein structure and functionality. However, employing pH shifting alone requires extremely acidic or alkaline conditions, which can lead to protein denaturation and the generation of undesirable by-products. To address these limitations, this review explores the integration of pH shifting with physical processing techniques such as ultrasound, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, and thermal treatments. Moreover, this review highlights the effects of these combined treatments on protein conformational transitions and the resulting improvements in functional properties such as solubility, emulsification, foaming capacity, and thermal stability. Importantly, they reduce reliance on extreme chemical conditions, providing greater sustainability in industrial applications, particularly in food product development where milder processing conditions help preserve nutritional quality and functional properties. In that sense, this combined treatment approach provides a promising and eco-efficient protein modification strategy, and bridges technological innovation with sustainable resource utilization. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-67b38d8d08734d8d937fdb91b5e79b2f |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2304-8158 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Foods |
| spelling | doaj-art-67b38d8d08734d8d937fdb91b5e79b2f2025-07-11T14:40:11ZengMDPI AGFoods2304-81582025-07-011413236010.3390/foods14132360Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive ReviewRuiqi Long0Yuanyuan Huang1Mokhtar Dabbour2Benjamin Kumah Mintah3Jiayin Pan4Minquan Wu5Shengqi Zhang6Zhou Qin7Ronghai He8Haile Ma9School of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaDepartment of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Benha University, Moshtohor, Qaluobia P.O. Box 13736, EgyptCSIR—Food Research Institute, Accra P.O. Box M20, GhanaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaSchool of Food and Biological Engineering, Jiangsu University, 301 Xuefu Road, Zhenjiang 212013, ChinaThe increasing demand for sustainable protein sources has intensified interest in improving the processing efficiency of traditional proteins and developing novel alternatives, particularly those derived from plants and algae. Among various processing technologies, pH shifting has attracted attention due to its simplicity, low cost, and capacity to effectively alter protein structure and functionality. However, employing pH shifting alone requires extremely acidic or alkaline conditions, which can lead to protein denaturation and the generation of undesirable by-products. To address these limitations, this review explores the integration of pH shifting with physical processing techniques such as ultrasound, high-pressure processing, pulsed electric fields, and thermal treatments. Moreover, this review highlights the effects of these combined treatments on protein conformational transitions and the resulting improvements in functional properties such as solubility, emulsification, foaming capacity, and thermal stability. Importantly, they reduce reliance on extreme chemical conditions, providing greater sustainability in industrial applications, particularly in food product development where milder processing conditions help preserve nutritional quality and functional properties. In that sense, this combined treatment approach provides a promising and eco-efficient protein modification strategy, and bridges technological innovation with sustainable resource utilization.https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2360pH shiftingultrasonicationsolubilityconformational attributesplant protein |
| spellingShingle | Ruiqi Long Yuanyuan Huang Mokhtar Dabbour Benjamin Kumah Mintah Jiayin Pan Minquan Wu Shengqi Zhang Zhou Qin Ronghai He Haile Ma Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review Foods pH shifting ultrasonication solubility conformational attributes plant protein |
| title | Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review |
| title_full | Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review |
| title_fullStr | Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review |
| title_short | Physical Processing-Assisted pH Shifting for Food Protein Modification: A Comprehensive Review |
| title_sort | physical processing assisted ph shifting for food protein modification a comprehensive review |
| topic | pH shifting ultrasonication solubility conformational attributes plant protein |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/14/13/2360 |
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