Germination as a Pre-isolation Modification Method for Common Buckwheat Protein Isolate
Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, cilt.81, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
- Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
- Cilt numarası: 81 Sayı: 3
- Basım Tarihi: 2026
- Doi Numarası: 10.1007/s11130-026-01559-0
- Dergi Adı: Plant Foods for Human Nutrition
- Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, BIOSIS, CINAHL, EMBASE, Environment Index, Food Science & Technology Abstracts, MEDLINE, Natural Science Collection (ProQuest), Biological Science Database (ProQuest), Biomedical Reference Collection: Corporate Edition (EBSCO), Health Research Premium Collection (ProQuest)
- Anahtar Kelimeler: Buckwheat, Digestibility, Germination, Protein, Techno-functional
- Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet
Özet
This study investigated germination as a pre-isolation modification method to enhance the techno-functional and nutritional properties of common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum Moench) protein. Germination was conducted at two different temperatures (20 and 30 °C) for 24, 48, and 72 h, and isolated proteins were analyzed for their chemical, structural, and functional properties. Results showed that the highest protein yield was achieved at 30 °C for 24 h, though durations exceeding 48 h reduced purity. SDS-PAGE and FTIR analyses confirmed that endogenous protease activity degraded high-molecular-weight proteins and increasing random coil proportions, indicating partial unfolding. SEM imaging revealed that germination transformed the dense protein surface into a porous morphology. Increasing germination time and temperature led to decreased lightness (L*) and hue angle, along with moderate increases in redness (a*), indicating notable changes in the visual appearance of the protein isolates. DSC results showed a decrease in thermal stability (Td) due to structural changes. In addition, germination significantly improved solubility, emulsifying activity, foaming capacity, and water/oil absorption, particularly at the 24 h of germination. Most notably, germination at 30 °C for 24 h increased in vitro protein digestibility from 75.67 to 82.19%. The results show that the germination is a promising approach to enhance the functionality and digestibility of buckwheat protein for potential application in food industry.