Development of thermally processed bioactive pea protein gels: Evaluation of mechanical and antioxidant properties

This work is focused on the evaluation of mechanical and antioxidant properties from a Pea Protein Concentrate (PPC) and two hydrolysates obtained from PPC (PPH25 and PPH120) at three different pH values (2.0, 6.5 and 8.0). The gelation process was monitored and, subsequently, mechanical spectra were obtained. In addition, protein interactions (ionic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonds and disulphide bonds) were also determined in order to elucidate their contribution to the formation of the gel network. Finally, the characterisation of the antioxidant activity of the gels was carried out using three different reagents: DPPH, ABTS and Folin-Ciocalteu. Results put forward that each variable studied, the degree of hydrolysis and pH, are key factors over the thermal processing of gels, showing a remarkable influence on both mechanical properties and antioxidant activity.