A method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure

Abstract

The application provides a method for improving oat protein beverage quality through high hydrostatic pressure and belongs to the technical field of beverage processing. The method for improving oat protein beverage quality through high hydrostatic pressure is as follows: oat raw materials are prepared into oat puffed powder through high-moisture extrusion technology; then the oat puffed powder is sequentially subjected to crushing, sieving, enzymolysis, enzyme inactivation, blending, homogenization, sterilization and high hydrostatic pressure treatment; the parameters of the high hydrostatic pressure treatment are set as follows: power 15kW, working cavity pressure 100-600MPa, pressure maintaining time 15min. The high hydrostatic pressure combined with extrusion puffing and composite enzymolysis technology provided by the application changes the structure and properties of oat protein, improves the emulsifying performance and rheological characteristics of the oat protein beverage, and thus a high-quality and excellent-taste coarse cereal protein beverage is obtained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of beverage processing technology, and in particular to a method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages through high hydrostatic pressure. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, plant-based foods have become increasingly popular, carrying an inherent "environmentally friendly halo." Besides meeting consumers' demands for environmental protection, they also cater to their needs for a healthy lifestyle, injecting fresh vitality into the beverage market. Oat protein drinks, due to their rich nutrition and unique taste, are widely popular in the market. However, compared to animal protein, oat protein has poorer solubility, emulsification, and stability, leading to unstable quality and sedimentation issues during storage and transportation. To overcome these challenges, researchers and food factories are currently employing various methods to process oat protein drinks to improve their overall quality and market competitiveness, but the results have been unsatisfactory.

[0003] High hydrostatic pressure (HHP) technology, also known as ultra-high pressure technology, is an advanced processing technology that has attracted much attention in the food industry in recent years. As a non-thermal processing technology, it utilizes pressures exceeding 100 MPa at room temperature or lower to process biomolecules such as enzymes, proteins, and starches in food, while effectively killing bacteria and other microorganisms. The unique feature of HHP technology is that it primarily disrupts non-covalent bonds (such as hydrogen bonds, ionic bonds, and hydrophobic bonds) in food components, with minimal impact on covalent bonds. Therefore, it can maximize the preservation of the food's flavor, nutrients, and original structure. Currently, HHP technology has a wide range of applications. In the food processing field, research on this technology mainly focuses on fruits and vegetables, aquatic products, meat, dairy products, eggs, tobacco, alcohol, tea, and condiments, primarily for sterilization, enzyme inactivation, extraction, and mutagenesis breeding. However, research on applying this technology to beverages to improve their quality is limited. Therefore, the application of this technology is expected to provide new solutions for improving the quality and stability of oat protein beverages, further promoting its widespread application and development in the food market. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the current problem of poor stability in oat protein beverages, this invention proposes a high hydrostatic pressure combined extrusion puffing-composite enzymatic hydrolysis technology. By altering the structure and properties of oat protein, this technology improves the emulsifying performance and rheological characteristics of oat protein beverages, thereby obtaining high-quality, high-tasting whole grain protein beverages.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0006] One of the technical solutions of this invention is a method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure. The method involves preparing oat puffed powder from oat raw materials using high-moisture extrusion technology; then, the oat puffed powder is subjected to pulverization, sieving, enzymatic hydrolysis, enzyme inactivation, blending, homogenization, sterilization, and high hydrostatic pressure treatment in sequence.

[0007] The parameters for the high hydrostatic pressure treatment are set as follows: power 15kW, working chamber pressure 100-600MPa, and pressure holding time 15min.

[0008] The second technical solution of the present invention is a method for improving the emulsification performance and rheological properties of oat protein beverages, wherein the oat protein beverage is prepared using the method described in the above technical solution.

[0009] The present invention discloses the following technical effects:

[0010] This invention introduces high hydrostatic pressure technology into the preparation process of oat protein beverages. This technology optimizes the molecular structure of oat protein, exposing more polar and hydrophobic groups, thereby improving the solubility and emulsifying properties of oat protein. Furthermore, high hydrostatic pressure technology can promote the movement of polar and water molecules within the protein, altering the number and ratio of hydrophilic and lipophilic groups, further improving the stability and taste of the oat protein beverage.

[0011] This invention innovatively applies high hydrostatic pressure technology to the beverage industry, and the process and operation involved are simple, easy to control, and suitable for industrial production. Attached Figure Description

[0012] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0013] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by using high hydrostatic pressure in this invention.

[0014] Figure 2 The images show actual oat protein beverages after treatment with different high hydrostatic pressures in Examples 1-5.

[0015] Figure 3 The rheological properties of oat protein beverages treated with different high hydrostatic pressures in Examples 1-5 are shown.

[0016] Figure 4 The emulsifying properties of oat protein beverages treated with different high hydrostatic pressures in Examples 1-5;

[0017] Figure 5 The emulsification stability of oat protein beverages treated with different high hydrostatic pressures in Examples 1-5 is evaluated. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail. This detailed description should not be considered as a limitation of the present invention, but rather as a more detailed description of certain aspects, features, and embodiments of the present invention.

[0019] It should be understood that the terminology used in this invention is merely for describing particular embodiments and is not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, with respect to numerical ranges in this invention, it should be understood that each intermediate value between the upper and lower limits of the range is also specifically disclosed. Any stated value or intermediate value within a stated range, as well as each smaller range between any other stated value or intermediate value within said range, is also included in this invention. The upper and lower limits of these smaller ranges may be independently included or excluded from the range.

[0020] Unless otherwise stated, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art. While only preferred methods and materials have been described herein, any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the implementation or testing of this invention. All references to this specification are incorporated by way of citation to disclose and describe methods and / or materials associated with those references. In the event of any conflict with any incorporated reference, the content of this specification shall prevail.

[0021] Various modifications and variations can be made to the specific embodiments described in this specification without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Other embodiments derived from this specification will also be apparent to those skilled in the art. This specification and embodiments are merely exemplary.

[0022] The terms “include,” “including,” “have,” “contain,” etc., used in this article are all open-ended terms, meaning that they include but are not limited to.

[0023] The first aspect of this invention provides a method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages through high hydrostatic pressure. The method involves preparing oat puffed powder from oat raw materials using a high-moisture extrusion technique; subsequently, the oat puffed powder is subjected to a series of processes including pulverization, sieving, enzymatic hydrolysis, enzyme inactivation, blending, homogenization, sterilization, and high hydrostatic pressure treatment. The specific steps are as follows:

[0024] Step 1. Extrusion: The oat raw material is fed into a twin-screw extruder and oat puffed powder is obtained through high-moisture extrusion technology;

[0025] Step 2. Grinding and sieving: Grind the oat puffed powder obtained in Step 1 using a grinder and then sieve it.

[0026] Step 3. Enzymatic hydrolysis: After the sieved oat puffed powder is made into a slurry, α-amylase and glycosidase are added for enzymatic hydrolysis.

[0027] Step 4. Enzyme inactivation: Boil the hydrolyzed slurry for 30 minutes to inactivate the enzymes.

[0028] Step 5. Preparation: Dilute the enzyme-inactivated slurry, add the stabilizer and stir well.

[0029] Step 6. Homogenization: The prepared slurry is sent to a high-pressure homogenizer for homogenization.

[0030] Step 7. Sterilization: Sterilize the homogenized slurry by boiling.

[0031] Step 8. High hydrostatic pressure treatment: Place the sterilized slurry in a PET container and then perform high hydrostatic pressure treatment using an ultra-high pressure testing machine.

[0032] In some embodiments of the present invention, the parameters of the high-moisture extrusion technology are set as follows: extrusion temperature 70-100℃, feed moisture 60%, and screw speed 200r / min.

[0033] In some embodiments of the present invention, the sieving is performed through an 80-mesh sieve.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present invention, the enzymatic hydrolysis specifically involves: preparing a slurry by mixing sieved oat puffed powder and water at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:8 (w:v), and then adding α-amylase and glycosidase at a mass ratio of 1:1 for enzymatic hydrolysis; the total amount of α-amylase and glycosidase added is 1% (w / w) of the slurry; the enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 70°C and the time is 45 min.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, the preparation specifically involves: diluting the enzyme-inactivated slurry to obtain a diluted solution, adding a stabilizer to the diluted solution, and mixing evenly; the material-to-liquid ratio during dilution is 1:10 (w:v); the stabilizer is heavy calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, edible salt, and vegetable oil (preferably sunflower oil); the mass concentration of heavy calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, and edible salt in the diluted solution is 0.1% (w / v); and the amount of vegetable oil added is 0.5% (v / v) of the diluted solution.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, the homogenization parameters are set as follows: homogenization pressure 200 bar, homogenization time 5 min, and 2 cycles.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, the boiling sterilization time is 5 minutes.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, the parameters of the high hydrostatic pressure treatment are set as follows: power 15kW, working chamber pressure 100-600MPa, and pressure holding time 15min.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, the parameters of the high hydrostatic pressure treatment are set as follows: power 15kW, working chamber pressure 450MPa, and pressure holding time 15min.

[0040] A second aspect of the present invention provides a method for improving the emulsifying properties and rheological characteristics of oat protein beverages, wherein the oat protein beverage is prepared using the method described above.

[0041] Unless otherwise specified, the technical solutions described in this invention are all conventional solutions in the field, and the raw materials and additives used are all food-grade and purchased from commercial channels or are publicly available.

[0042] The enzymes used in this invention are commercial enzymes produced by Novozymes, which have the advantages of requiring small quantities and being inexpensive.

[0043] To better understand the present invention, the following embodiments further illustrate its content, but the content of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. A schematic flowchart of the method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages using high hydrostatic pressure in the present invention is shown below. Figure 1 As shown.

[0044] Example 1

[0045] A method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages using high hydrostatic pressure, comprising the following steps:

[0046] (1) Extrusion: The oat raw material is fed into a twin-screw extruder and oat puffed powder is obtained through high moisture extrusion technology. The extrusion parameters include: extrusion temperature 70-100℃, feed moisture 60%, and screw speed 200r / min.

[0047] (2) Crushing and sieving: The oat puffed powder is crushed by a crusher and then sieved through an 80-mesh sieve.

[0048] (3) Enzymatic hydrolysis: After the sieved oat puffed powder and pure water are mixed evenly at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:8 (w:v), a slurry is made. α-amylase and glycosidase at a mass ratio of 1:1 are added to the slurry and then placed in a constant temperature magnetic stirring water bath for enzymatic hydrolysis. The total amount of α-amylase and glycosidase added is 1% (w / w) of the slurry. The enzymatic hydrolysis time is 45 min and the enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 70℃. Enzymatic hydrolysis is carried out while stirring.

[0049] (4) Enzyme inactivation: The concentrated slurry after enzymatic hydrolysis is sterilized by boiling at a temperature of 95°C or above for 30 minutes.

[0050] (5) Preparation: Dilute the enzyme-inactivated slurry with water at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:10 (w:v) to obtain a diluted solution. Add heavy calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, edible salt, and sunflower oil to the diluted solution and stir well. The mass concentrations of heavy calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, and edible salt in the diluted solution are all 0.1% (w / v), and the amount of sunflower oil added is 0.5% (v / v) of the diluted solution.

[0051] (6) Homogenization: The prepared slurry is fed into a high-pressure homogenizer for homogenization. The homogenization parameters include: homogenization pressure 200 bar, homogenization time 5 min, and 2 cycles.

[0052] (7) Sterilization: The homogenized slurry is sterilized by boiling for 5 minutes.

[0053] This embodiment serves as a comparative example without high hydrostatic pressure treatment. By comparing it with other embodiments (which underwent high hydrostatic pressure treatment), the effect of high hydrostatic pressure treatment on the quality of oat protein beverages is investigated.

[0054] Example 2

[0055] Similar to Example 1, the only difference is that after sterilization, a high hydrostatic pressure treatment step is also included; the high hydrostatic pressure treatment specifically involves placing the sterilized slurry in a PET container and then using an ultra-high pressure testing machine for high hydrostatic pressure treatment, wherein the power is 15kW, the working chamber pressure is 150MPa, and the pressure holding time is 15min.

[0056] Example 3

[0057] Same as Example 2, except that the working chamber pressure is 300 MPa.

[0058] Example 4

[0059] Same as Example 2, except that the working chamber pressure is 450 MPa.

[0060] Example 5

[0061] Same as Example 2, except that the working chamber pressure is 600 MPa.

[0062] Effect verification example

[0063] Rheological property determination:

[0064] The static shear rheological properties of oat protein beverages were determined using an Anton Paar MCR302 rheometer. The rheometer was turned on, a 50mm diameter plate was selected, and the test interval was set to 1mm. An appropriate amount of sample was placed on the platform, and the rotor was lowered to the set height for scraping. The test temperature was 25℃, and the shear rate was 10-100 L / s. The change in apparent viscosity with shear rate was observed.

[0065] Emulsification property determination:

[0066] The sample solution was thoroughly mixed with soybean oil at a ratio of 1:3 and sheared at 15000 r / min for 90 s in a high-speed shear emulsifier to obtain an emulsion. Immediately after emulsification, 100 μL of the emulsion sample was absorbed from the bottom of the emulsion and diluted 50 times with 0.1% (w / v) sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution, and mixed thoroughly. Using a 0.1% SDS solution as a blank control, the absorbance A0 was measured at 500 nm. The emulsifying activity index (EAI) of the oat protein beverage was calculated according to formula (1).

[0067]

[0068] Where: A0 is the absorbance value at 0 min;

[0069] N is the dilution factor;

[0070] c represents the protein concentration of the sample solution, in g / mL;

[0071] This represents the volume fraction of the oil phase.

[0072] Emulsion stability of oat protein beverage: After the above emulsion was left to stand for 30 minutes, a sample of the emulsion was taken from the bottom of the emulsion (ensuring that the height was the same as the 0-minute sampling point), and the absorbance was measured as above. The emulsion stability index (ESI) of the oat protein beverage was calculated according to formula (2).

[0073]

[0074] Where: A0 is the absorbance at 0 min;

[0075] ΔA is the difference in absorbance, ΔA=A0-A 30 A 30 The absorbance at 30 min;

[0076] Δt is the interval time, 30 min.

[0077] like Figure 3(In the figure, 0 represents Example 1, 150 MPa represents Example 2, 300 MPa represents Example 3, 450 MPa represents Example 4, and 600 MPa represents Example 5.) As shown, the apparent viscosity of the oat protein beverage first increases and then decreases with increasing pressure. At lower pressures (0-300 MPa), the apparent viscosity of the oat protein beverage gradually increases. This may be because high hydrostatic pressure may cause the hydrogen bonds and ionic bonds in the oat protein molecules to break, making the protein molecules more loose and thus increasing their solubility in water. In addition, with increasing pressure, the hydrophobic groups in the oat protein molecules may be more exposed, leading to enhanced hydrophobic interactions. These interactions help form a tighter network structure between protein molecules, which may also be the reason for the increase in the apparent viscosity of the oat protein beverage. However, when the pressure increases to 450 MPa, the protein molecules may suffer severe physical damage, leading to the depolymerization of aggregates and a decrease in viscosity. Therefore, the apparent viscosity of the oat protein beverage reaches its maximum at 450 MPa.

[0078] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the emulsifying properties and emulsion stability of oat protein beverages initially increased and then decreased with increasing pressure. At lower pressures (0-300 MPa, i.e., Examples 1-3), the emulsifying properties and emulsion stability of oat protein beverages initially increased. This may be because under high hydrostatic pressure, the molecular structure of oat protein changes, including peptide chain extension and protein aggregate depolymerization. These changes expose previously hidden emulsifying active sites, thereby increasing the contact area and interaction opportunities with lipids. However, when the pressure increases to 450 MPa (Example 4), the molecular structure of oat protein may suffer excessive damage, leading to impaired or inactivated emulsifying active sites. This structural damage may weaken the interaction between oat protein and lipids, thus reducing its emulsifying properties.

[0079] In summary, high hydrostatic pressure treatment significantly affected the rheological properties and emulsifying performance of oat protein beverages, exhibiting an initial increase followed by a decrease, with the best rheological properties and emulsifying performance observed at 450 MPa. At lower pressures, high hydrostatic pressure treatment altered the molecular structure and interactions of oat proteins, increasing the apparent viscosity of the beverage. It also activated and exposed emulsifying active sites in oat proteins, improving emulsifying performance. However, when the pressure exceeded 450 MPa, excessive physical pressure began to damage the structure of oat proteins, leading to a decrease in apparent viscosity and emulsifying performance, thus affecting the quality and stability of the beverage.

[0080] Therefore, considering both rheological properties and emulsifying performance, high hydrostatic pressure treatment at 450 MPa can maximize the quality of oat protein beverages, exhibiting suitable apparent viscosity and good emulsifying performance, thus meeting consumers' demands for food taste and stability.

[0081] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that for those skilled in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principle of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages through high hydrostatic pressure, characterized in that, Oat puffed powder is prepared from oat raw materials using high-moisture extrusion technology; then the oat puffed powder is successively subjected to pulverization, sieving, enzymatic hydrolysis, enzyme inactivation, blending, homogenization, sterilization and high hydrostatic pressure treatment; The parameters for the high hydrostatic pressure treatment are set as follows: power 15kW, working chamber pressure 100-600MPa, and pressure holding time 15min.

2. The method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The parameters for the high-moisture extrusion technology are set as follows: extrusion temperature 70-100℃, feed moisture 60%, and screw speed 200r / min.

3. The method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sieving process is an 80-mesh sieve.

4. The method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The enzymatic hydrolysis specifically involves preparing a slurry from sieved oat puffed powder and water at a material-to-liquid ratio of 1:8 (w:v), then adding α-amylase and glycosidase at a mass ratio of 1:1 for enzymatic hydrolysis; the total amount of α-amylase and glycosidase added is 1% (w / w) of the slurry; the enzymatic hydrolysis temperature is 70℃ and the time is 45 min.

5. The method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The preparation process specifically involves: diluting the enzyme-inactivated slurry to obtain a diluted solution, adding a stabilizer to the diluted solution, and mixing thoroughly; the material-to-liquid ratio during dilution is 1:10 (w:v); the stabilizer consists of heavy calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, edible salt, and vegetable oil; the mass concentrations of heavy calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, and edible salt in the diluted solution are all 0.1% (w / v); and the amount of vegetable oil added is 0.5% (v / v) of the diluted solution.

6. The method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The homogenization parameters were set as follows: homogenization pressure 200 bar, homogenization time 5 min, and 2 cycles.

7. The method for improving the quality of oat protein beverages by high hydrostatic pressure according to claim 1, characterized in that, The sterilization method is boiling sterilization, and the boiling time is 5 minutes.

8. A method for improving the emulsifying properties and rheological characteristics of oat protein beverages, characterized in that, Oat protein beverages are prepared using the method described in any one of claims 1-7.

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