Structural and functional enhancement of gluten for digestive health through atmospheric cold plasma treatment

This study investigates the transformative potential of Atmospheric Cold Plasma (ACP) treatment on gluten. Gluten samples were treated with ACP at different time intervals (0, 5, 10, and 15 min) and input voltage levels (170, 200, and 230 V). SDS-PAGE was conducted to assess structural changes. An array of physicochemical properties, such as emulsification activity, foaming capacity, water holding capacity, molecular weight and in-vitro digestibility were meticulously evaluated. The results reveal significant improvements in gluten's in-vitro digestibility, increasing from 19.38 to 44.66 µg/ml. ACP treatment enhances emulsification activity, with the Emulsification Activity Index rising from 26.36 to 33.56 m²/gm. Foaming capacity improves from 77.53 % to 82.22 %, and water-holding capacity increases substantially from 163.57 % to 285.42 %. It addresses sustainability in food processing for digestive health.