Enzymatic crosslinking of rapeseed albumins: kinetic monitoring, physical characteristics, and functional property enhancements

In response to the growing demand for plant-based and functional food ingredients, this study investigated the enzymatic crosslinking of rapeseed albumins (RA) using microbial transglutaminase (MTGase) to enhance their functional properties. A novel size-exclusion chromatography method was proposed to monitor the crosslinking kinetics, enabling the identification of RA dimers, trimers, and polydisperse products, as well as the residual native RA amounts. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed a slight reduction in denaturation temperature, and surface hydrophobicity increased steadily over time, indicating structural rearrangement. Crosslinked RA (CRA) exhibited a least gelation concentration of only 3 % compared to over 15 % for native RA, and formed stable gels with improved mechanical properties (elastic modulus of 500 Pa and critical strain of 4). In a mayonnaise-type model system, CRA significantly improved emulsion stability compared to native RA by reducing droplet size, thickening emulsion texture, and preserving structure over 30 days of storage. The enzymatic crosslinking process offers a promising strategy to valorize RA as a high-performance texturizing agent. These results contribute to the innovative applications of RA in plant-based emulsions and gels, contributing to the development of cleaner-label, protein-enriched foods. • RA crosslinked by MTGase form dimers, trimers, and polydisperse aggregates. • SE-HPLC enables accurate monitoring of RA crosslinking reaction kinetics. • Crosslinked RA form gels at only 3% protein, versus over 15% for native RA. • Emulsions with crosslinked RA show higher long-term stability. • Crosslinking enhances RA’s functionality as a food texturizing agent.