The application of protein-protein interaction (PPI) has been widely used in various industries, such as food, nutraceutical, and pharmaceutical. A deeper understanding of PPI is needed, and the molecular forces governing proteins and their interaction must be explained. The design of new structures with improved functional properties, e.g., solubility, emulsion, and gelation, has been fueled by the development of structural and colloidal building blocks. In this review, the molecular forces of protein structures are discussed, followed by the relationship between molecular force and structure, ways of a bind of proteins together in solution or at the interface, and functional properties. A more detailed look is thus taken at the relationship between the various influencing factors on molecular forces involved in PPI. These factors include protein properties, such as types, concentration, and mixing ratio, and solvent conditions, such as ionic strength and pH. This review also summarizes methods tha1t are capable of identifying molecular forces in protein and PPI, as well as characterizing protein structure.

The growing health awareness among consumers has increased the demand for non-dairy-based products containing probiotics. However, the incorporation of probiotics in non-dairy matrices is challenging, and probiotics tend to have a low survival rate in these matrices and subsequently perform poorly in the gastrointestinal system. Encapsulation of probiotics with a physical barrier could preserve the survivability of probiotics and subsequently improve delivery efficiency to the host. This article aimed to review the effectiveness of encapsulation techniques (coacervation, extrusion, emulsion, spray-drying, freeze-drying, fluidized bed coating, spray chilling, layer-by-layer, and co-encapsulation) and biomaterials (carbohydrate-, fat-, and protein-based) on the viability of probiotics under the harsh conditions of food processing, storage, and along the gastrointestinal passage. Recent studies on probiotic encapsulations using non-dairy food matrices, such as fruits, fruit and vegetable juices, fermented rice beverages, tea, jelly-like desserts, bakery products, sauces, and gum products, were also included in this review. Overall, co-encapsulation of probiotics with prebiotics was found to be effective in preserving the viability of probiotics in non-dairy food matrices. Encapsulation techniques could add value and widen the application of probiotics in the non-dairy food market and future perspectives in this area.

Despite long‐standing uses in several food and medicine traditions, the full potential of the leguminous crop fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum‐graecum L.) remains to be realized in the modern diet. Not only its seeds, which are highly prized for their culinary and medicinal properties, but also its leaves and stems abound in phytochemicals with high nutritional and health promoting attributes. Fenugreek dual food‐medicine applications and reported metabolic activities include hypoglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, antioxidative, anti‐inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antihypertensive, anticarcinogenic, immunomodulatory, and antinociceptive effects, with potential organ‐protective effects at the cardiovascular, digestive, hepatic, endocrine, and central nervous system levels. Effectiveness in alleviating certain inflammatory skin conditions and dysfunctions of the reproductive system was also suggested. As a food ingredient, fenugreek can enhance the sensory, nutritional, and nutraceutical qualities of a wide variety of foods. Its high nutritive density can assist with the design of dietary items that meet the demand for novelty, variety, and healthier foods. Its seeds provide essential protective nutrients and other bioactive compounds, notably galactomannans, flavonoids, coumarins, saponins, alkaloids, and essential oils, whose health benefits, alone or in conjunction with other bioactives, are only beginning to be tapped into in the food industries. This review summarizes the current state of evidence on fenugreek potential for functional food development, focusing on the nutrients and non‐nutrient bioactive components of interest from a dietary perspective, and their applications for enhancing the functional and nutraceutical value of foods and beverages. New developments, safety, clinical evidence, presumed mechanisms of action, and future perspectives are discussed. Highlights: Fenugreek seeds and leaves have long‐standing uses in the food‐medicine continuum. Fenugreek phytochemicals exert broad‐spectrum biological and pharmacological activities. They show high preventive and nutraceutical potential against common chronic diseases. Current evidence supports multiple mechanisms of action mediated by distinct bioactives. Opportunities for fenugreek‐based functional foods and nutraceuticals are expanding.