OPUS grant for the research on interactions of flavor compounds with rapeseed proteins
We are proud to announce a new OPUS project titled "Interactions of flavor compounds with rapeseed proteins: binding mechanisms, flavor stability in perspectives for rapeseed meals valorization" led by Prof. Henryk Jeleń!
The project is aimed to study interactions between selected odor compounds and rapeseed proteins. The binding of odorants to proteins is an important element in both basic research in the field of flavor chemistry and has a significant practical aspect in determining these interactions in food products containing proteins. It allows for an understanding of the processes of aroma release and formation in products containing proteins.
Plant proteins are an alternative to animal proteins and their use in technology is becoming increasingly widespread. Soy and other legume proteins dominate, while oilseed proteins, including rapeseed, have not been widely used so far. Three groups of compounds will be investigated aldehydes, which are the main products of lipid oxidation; sulfur compounds - rapeseed metabolites; and selected aromatic compounds used in food technology that belong to classes other than the above.
The ability of rapeseed proteins to bind these compounds, the type of chemical/physicochemical interactions dominant in the binding of individual compounds, and the influence of factors altering the structure of proteins, such as high temperature or changes in the pH, on the process of binding odor compounds will be investigated. The competition between the tested compounds in the process of their binding to proteins and the dynamics of this process will also be assessed. The second issue, apart from the mechanisms of aroma-protein binding, will be the shelf life and sensory quality of stored rapeseed protein isolates. The work will use modern instrumental methods based on chromatographic and spectral techniques. Understanding the phenomena under study will contribute to investigating the potential of rapeseed proteins for use in food products and maintaining their high sensory quality.
The project is realized in cooperation with InLife Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. PI of the project is prof. Henryk Jeleń.