Recent advances in plant protein modification: spotlight on hemp protein

Abstract

Plant proteins are attracting increased research attention, and the modification of their functional properties is a key area of current research. Industrial hemp is a new source of protein which can be produced in a sustainable manner. Hemp protein is rich in essential amino acids such as leucine, lysine, and phenylalanine, and also comes with good digestibility and various health benefits. Despite its potential, the scope of its application is limited due to its less-than-desirable technofunctional properties including solubility, emulsifying, encapsulating and gelling properties. This review provides a snapshot of various physicochemical and enzymatic methods that are currently used to enhance the aforementioned properties of plant proteins, particularly focusing on the modification of hemp protein. It compares the structural characteristics, physicochemical properties that can be positively affected by these methods and explains the underlying principles. This review highlights the fact that combination of two or more methods and particularly implementation of protein–polysaccharide complex coacervation and protein–polyphenol conjugation and peptide–polysaccharide conjugation greatly improve the technofunctional properties and help broaden the scope of application of hemp protein.