Interactions with Locust Bean Gum Regulate the Gelling Capacity of Myofibrillar Protein Emulsion: Effects of Locust Bean Gum Concentration

Abstract

Myofibrillar protein (MP) emulsion systems tend to be unstable, leading to loss of water and oil from the emulsion gel. Thus, improvements in MP emulsification ability are needed to enhance the quality of meat products. The effects of different added concentrations of locust bean gum (LBG) (0–5 mg/g) on the emulsion gel performance of bovine MP were studied. LBG can act on myosin to stretch the spatial structure of the protein and thus improve the thermal stability of the emulsion. LBG can enhance the hydrophobicity of the MP emulsion gel molecules, allowing greater combination of the oil phase with protein, optimizing the protein’s secondary structure, and promoting greater order and uniformity in the network structure of the MP emulsion gel. LBG imparts better texture characteristics and water retention properties to MP emulsion gels. Compared with a control group, adding 5 mg/g LBG can increase the hardness of an MP emulsion from 23.11 g to 65.91 g, springiness from 0.74 to 0.82, and water holding capacity from 59.45% to 93.24%. This study provides a reference for improving the quality of beef protein-based food emulsion gel.