Enzymatic Modification of Plant Proteins for Improved Functional and Bioactive Properties

Plant-based proteins have shown great potential as an alternative substitute for animal proteins to meet the increasing global demand. Nevertheless, several limitations mitigate plant-based protein application and utilization. As a panacea to meeting the market demand, it is imperative to modify plant-based proteins to produce improved quality and techno-functionalities compared to conventional animal protein ingredients. Enzymatic, chemical, and physical modifications have been used for plant-based proteins, which have shown exciting results in improving their techno-functional properties, digestibility, and inherent allergenicity. Among these modification methods, the low-cost, limited time, high sensitivity, and high reproducibility give enzymatic modification leverage over chemical and physical methods. This review gave a concise summary of the advantages and disadvantages of enzymatic modifications. The efficacy of enzymatic modification in producing protein ingredients from plant sources with improved techno-functional properties, digestibility, and alleviated allergenicity was discussed. Furthermore, the application of enzymatic modification in the production of bioactive compounds with health-beneficial properties adds in no small measure to the novelty of this review.