Enhancement of structural properties of 3D-printed plant-based meat analogs by TGase/laccase

Abstract

As we all know, achieving the desirable texture and fibrous structure of 3D-printed meat analogs has been challenging. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of transglutaminase (TGase) or laccase on printability, texture, and structure of 3D-printed soy protein isolate (SPI) -wheat gluten (WG) -insoluble dietary fiber (IDF) plant-based meat analogs (PBMA). Results showed that TGase significantly improved the hardness, gumminess, and chewiness of PBMA (p < 0.05), whereas laccase exhibited an opposite trend. The tensile strength and elongation at break were increased by TGase or laccase, with laccase exhibiting better effect (9.37 ± 0.25 kPa, 63.16 ± 3.18%). The interaction of laccase and IDF resulted in the maximum value of apparent viscosity and disulfide bond content, which hindered the movement of printed materials through the printing nozzle, and potentially led to PBMA incomplete-structure. Synergistic effect of TGase and IDF has been shown to enhance the content of hydrogen, hydrophobic, and disulfide bonds. This combination readily induced an increase in α-helix and β-sheet formations, promoting a more orderly development of the protein structure, consequently, the internal architecture became more uniform and densely packed. These results indicated that TGase treatment combined with IDF might be a novel and promising strategy to enhance the texture and structure of PBMA.