Formation mechanism of cold-set bitter apricot kernel protein isolate-gellan gum binary gels with excellent freeze-thaw stability

Binary gels with various microstructures, including apricot kernel protein isolate-gellan gum gels with high freeze-thaw stability, were obtained by combining transglutaminase covalent cross-linking and gellan gum modification. Adding 0–0.1% gellan gum (w/w) can form continuous protein network structures dominated by covalent networks and disulfide bonds. In addition to covalent cross-linking, the increase in the strength of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions at gellan gum concentrations below 0.2% (w/w) facilitated the formation of a bicontinuous network (AGG3). When excess gellan gum was added (0.03%, w/w), gellan gelation occurred in the system, leading to the formation of heterogeneous aggregated structures (AGG4). Confocal laser microscopy revealed a dense porous structure in the continuous protein network after freeze-thaw treatment, and AGG4 showed heterogeneous and loose aggregated microstructure, while the bicontinuous network structure was maintained. The water holding capacity of AGG3 was increased by 21.36% after freezing compared with the gels without gellan gum, and AGG3 maintained high hardness and springiness. Low-field nuclear magnetic resonance and magnetic resonance imaging showed that the bicontinuous network was more conducive to the tethering ability and uniform distribution of hydrogen protons than the continuous network structure of proteins. Therefore, AGG3 exhibited excellent freeze-thaw stability.