Solubilization mechanism and structural properties of high‐denatured peanut protein treated by shearing

Abstract High‐denatured peanut protein (PP), which exhibited a surface structure dominated by hydrophobic groups due to the high temperature and pressure in oil extraction, was limited in application with poor hydration property. To improve the interaction between PP and water molecules, high‐speed shearing homogenization (HSH) technique was used to depolymerize the aggregates. The results showed that the concentration of soluble protein was increased from 0.22 to 0.79 mg/mL at 15 min, followed by enhanced water holding ability, decreased particle size, and thermal stability. Otherwise, the decrease of α‐helix structure and the exposure of chromophoric groups indicated that the secondary and tertiary structure were unfolded. The stretching vibration of C–O, C=O, C–H, the increase of β‐turn structure, and the exposure of hydrophilic groups (–OH) were the main reason for the improved hydration property. Furthermore, the increased hydration property facilitated the formation of a stable emulsion via stabilizing the water phase. The enhanced hydration property of PP contributed to extending its application in the preparation of beverages and delivery products such as Pickering emulsion and gel for drugs. Practical applications As one of the non‐thermal processing technologies, HSH technology has been widely used in the field of food processing. HSH treatment depolymerized the materials via producing strong shear force, vortex, and cavitation, which was easy to operate and avoided pollution. This study used the HSH technology to improve the hydration property of PP, which has great research potential for the preparation of drug delivery carriers, nutritional products, tissue scaffolds, and food packaging materials.