Speaker
Description
The transition toward plant-based foods requires understanding how minimally processed protein ingredients assemble into functional soft materials. In simplified extraction protocols, some starch and small carbohydrates are retained, yet their role in thermally induced gelation remains poorly understood. While rheology and calorimetry describe macroscopic and molecular transitions, resolving mesoscale organisation requires small-angle scattering. We investigate truncated pea protein extracts obtained via high-salt extraction (SE) using contrast-variation SANS/USANS. By tuning scattering contrast via H₂O/D₂O series, the signal from proteins and carbohydrates were selectively enhanced or suppressed. Apparent match points show that protein- and carbohydrate-rich domains behave independently in solution but converge into a common profile upon gelation, demonstrating structural coupling within a shared network. Global modelling reveals hierarchical organisation: low-q mass-fractal networks extending to micrometer scales, intermediate-q correlations reflecting protein–carbohydrate coupling, and higher-q protein conformation. Overall, SE extracts undergo protein–carbohydrate co-gelation, illustrating how multiscale (U)SANS bridges composition and functionality in sustainable plant-protein systems.