Modulation of Food‐Derived Protein Fibrillization: A Comprehensive Review of Regulatory Strategies, Enhanced Functional Properties and Food Applications

Fibrillization is extensively recognized as a promising strategy for endowing food-derived proteins with desirable functional properties. However, there remains a critical knowledge gap regarding the systematic investigation of how the functional and biological properties of food-derived protein fibrils can be further enhanced via the synergistic or complementary effects of different modification technologies. This review summarizes recent research on the modulation of the fibrillization process of food-derived proteins via various strategies (physical, chemical, biological techniques, and fibrillization parameter optimization). In addition, their functional properties, potential food applications, current challenges, and future directions are discussed. The key finding is that the integration of other modification technologies (e.g., ultrasonication, glycosylation, enzymatic hydrolysis) promotes the enhancement of functional properties (e.g., emulsifying, foaming, and gelling properties) and biological properties (antioxidant, antibacterial, and low allergenicity) of food-derived protein fibrils. These enhanced properties are closely associated with the structural changes of protein fibrils induced by the combined technologies. Notably, the impacts of different regulatory strategies on the morphology of protein fibrils are mainly reflected in length, flexibility, and branching structure. As research advances, food-derived protein fibrils have emerged as a promising ingredient for food applications, such as delivery systems, starch digestion inhibitors, food packaging, and biomimetic foods. Future research should focus on a deeper understanding of the structure-function relationships and the safety of food-derived protein fibrils.