Functionality of oilseed protein products: A review

Oilseed proteins and modified or processed oilseed proteins can be incorporated into foods to impart nutritive value and functional properties. Processing of vegetable protein involves physico-chemical and thermal treatments, affecting the nutritional value of the final products, and also the functional properties. Conversely, functional properties (solubility, water and oil retention capacity, foaming capacity and stability, emulsion capacity and stability, viscosity, gelation) influence protein behaviour during processing and storage. These properties can be modified by chemical and enzymatic treatment. Data corresponding to diverse oilseeds and from different deffating and extraction processes have been complied and grouped according to the protein content into meals, concentrates, and isolates. Three groups of technological properties of interest for the formulation of proteinic food products from oilseeds were considered: (i) properties related to hydration mechanisms, (ii) properties related to protein structure and rheology and (iii) properties related to protein surface.