The paper presents the effect of heat treatment at 80 °C at different times (3, 5, 7, and 9 min) on the structural and functional properties of Phaseolus vulgaris L. protein (PVP, bean protein powder). Surface and structure properties of PVP after heat treatment were analyzed using a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), a fluorescence spectrophotometer, a visible light spectrophotometer, a laser particle size analyzer, and other equipment. The secondary structure and surface hydrophobicity (H₀) of PVP changed significantly after heat treatment: the β-sheet content decreased from 25.32 ± 0.09% to 24.66 ± 0.09%, the random coil content increased from 23.91 ± 0.11% to 25.68 ± 0.08%, and the H₀ rose by 28.96–64.99%. In addition, the functional properties of PVP after heat treatment were analyzed. After heat treatment, the emulsifying activity index (EAI) of PVP increased from 78.52 ± 2.01 m²/g to 98.21 ± 1.33 m²/g, the foaming ability (FA) improved from 87.31 ± 2.56% to 95.82 ± 2.96%, and the foam stability (FS) rose from 53.23 ± 1.72% to 58.71 ± 2.18%. Finally, the degree of hydrolysis (DH) of PVP after gastrointestinal simulated digestion in vitro was detected by the Ortho-Phthal (OPA) method. Heat treatment enhanced the DH of PVP from 62.34 ± 0.31% to 73.64 ± 0.53%. It was confirmed that heat treatment changed the structural properties of PVP and improved its foamability, emulsification, and digestibility. It provides ideas for improving PVP’s potential and producing new foods with rich nutrition, multiple functions, and easy absorption.

A Pickering emulsion was prepared using β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) and a cinnamaldehyde (CA)/β-CD composite as emulsifiers and corn oil, camellia oil, lard oil, and fish oil as oil phases. It was confirmed that Pickering emulsions prepared with β-CD and CA/β-CD had good storage stability. The rheological experiments showed that all emulsions had G′ values higher than G″, thus confirming their gel properties. The results of temperature scanning rheology experiments revealed that the Pickering emulsion prepared with β-CD and CA/β-CD composites had high stability, in the range of 20–65 °C. The chewing properties of Pickering emulsions prepared by β-CD and corn oil, camellia oil, lard, and herring oil were 8.02 ± 0.24 N, 7.94 ± 0.16 N, 36.41 ± 1.25 N, and 5.17 ± 0.13 N, respectively. The chewing properties of Pickering emulsions made with the CA/β-CD composite and corn oil, camellia oil, lard, and herring oil were 2.51 ± 0.05 N, 2.56 ± 0.05 N, 22.67 ± 1.70 N, 3.83 ± 0.29 N, respectively. The texture properties confirmed that the CA/β-CD-composite-stabilized-emulsion had superior palatability. After 28 days at 50 °C, malondialdehyde (MDA) was detected in the emulsion. Compared with the β-CD and CA + β-CD emulsion, the CA/β-CD composite emulsion had the lowest content of MDA (182.23 ± 8.93 nmol/kg). The in vitro digestion results showed that the free fatty acid (FFA) release rates of the CA/β-CD composite emulsion (87.49 ± 3.40%) were higher than those of the β-CD emulsion (74.32 ± 2.11%). This strategy provides ideas for expanding the application range of emulsifier particles and developing food-grade Pickering emulsions with antioxidant capacity.

Inadequate fibrous attributes and prohibitive pricing are pivotal barriers to the broader market penetration of meat analogs (MAs). This research endeavors to address these impediments by formulating a blend of cost-effective soybean meal (SM) and pea protein isolate (PPI) across a spectrum of ratios (PPI:SM = 1:0, 8:2, 6:4, 4:6, 2:8, and 0:1). The analysis of textural properties elucidated that the integration of SM markedly diminished the textural rigidity and mastication resistance of MAs. Employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and fibrillation degree metrics, it was ascertained that the most favorable fibrous architecture of MAs was attained at a PPI to SM ratio of 6:4. Further experimental evidence underscored that the synergistic interaction between SM and PPI catalyzed the conversion of free sulfhydryl groups into disulfide linkages, a pivotal mechanism in the augmentation of MAs’ fibrous matrices. The conclusions drawn from this study provide substantive contributions to the formulation of superior-quality, economically viable MAs, and could potentially accelerate their market acceptance.

Despite the growing interest in orally disintegrating films (ODFs), developing soy protein isolate (SPI)-based ODFs with both rapid disintegration and high functional stability remains a challenge. This study developed a novel SPI-based ODF incorporated with a cinnamaldehyde/β-cyclodextrin (CA/β-CD) inclusion complex at varying concentrations (5–20%, w/w) to address this gap. The control ODF exhibited poor structural order, a slow disintegration rate, and weak antioxidant activity. The incorporation of an appropriate amount of CA/β-CD inclusion complex (10–15%) significantly improved the comprehensive properties of the ODFs. The inclusion complex facilitated the formation of an orderly, continuous network structure, leading to a substantial enhancement in tensile strength (TS), elongation at break (EAB), disintegration rate, thermal stability, and sustained antioxidant activity. An excessive inclusion complex concentration (20%) induced agglomeration, compromising the structural integrity and functionality of the ODF. FTIR and secondary structure analyses revealed that the enhanced hydrogen bonding between the CA/β-CD inclusion complex and the SPI matrix promoted the transformation of disordered protein structures into ordered conformations (β-sheets and α-helices). This structural ordering is the core mechanism driving the improved macroscopic physicochemical and functional properties of the ODFs. This study confirms that CA/β-CD inclusion complexes can enhance the performance of SPI-based ODFs and provide a highly promising delivery system for hydrophobic bioactive substances.