Improvement of gel properties of grape seed proanthocyanidin-modified oxidized mutton myofibrillar protein by Sesbania gum

This study investigates the effects of Sesbania gum (SG) on the characteristics of oxidized myofibrillar protein (MP) gel and grape seed proanthocyanidin (GSP)-oxidized MP gel. The results demonstrated that GSP treatment promoted oxidized MP intermolecular protein aggregation and the formation of insoluble MP copolymers, reducing the densification of the gel network structure. SG supplementation significantly enhanced the rheological properties of oxidized and GSP-modified MP gel by facilitating the α-helix to β-sheet transition, thereby improving water holding capacity and textural properties. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that SG incorporation improved gel network densification and counteracted the degradation of gel properties caused by GSP-induced protein aggregation. These findings highlight the ability of SG to mitigate oxidative damage to the gel structure and inhibit GSP-protein interactions, thereby enhancing the properties of MP gel. This study provides a new strategy to improve the loading amount of phenolic antioxidants without deteriorating of the MP gel quality. • GSP induced the aggregation of protein molecules leading to degradation of gel properties. • SG can effectively prevent oxidative damage to the network structure of MP gel. • SG ameliorated the gel deterioration caused by GSP. • The addition of SG improves GSP loading without affecting MP gel properties. • SG is a potential gel modifier.