Improved gel functionality of myofibrillar proteins incorporation with sugarcane dietary fiber

•SDF significantly improves the physiochemical properties of MP gelation.•SDF affected moisture distribution in the gel by drawing water from MP.•The concentrated MP promoted the formation of β-sheet instead of α-helices, leading a compact microstructure.

The effects of sugarcane dietary fiber (SDF) on the gelation properties of porcine myofibrillar proteins (MP) were studied to understand its mechanism of action in improving gel functionality. Rheological tests on all composite gels (MP with SDF) showed the visco-elastic nature of MP, but the G′ significantly increased with contents of SDF and with particle size (P < 0.05). However, the δ exhibited the opposite effect. Light microscopy suggested that SDF affected moisture distribution in the gel by drawing water from MP and homogenously embedded in gelation. It is proposed that during the heating the more concentrated MP promoted the unfolding of MP chains and facilitated the formation of β-sheet instead of α-helices, leading to a compact and homogenous three-dimensioned network. These results indicated that the SDF changed the water distribution and resulted in the enhanced gelation which reacted to firmly bind SDF and form a synergistic interaction system.

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