Improvements of Plant Protein Functionalities by Maillard Conjugation and Maillard Reaction Products

Plant-derived protein research has gained attention in recent years due to the rise of health concerns, allergenicity, trends toward vegan diet, food safety, and sustainability; but the lower techno-functional attributes of plant proteins compared to those of animals still remain a challenge for their utilization. Maillard conjugation is a protein side-chain modification reaction which is spontaneous, and do not require additional chemical additive to initiate the reaction. The glycoconjugates formed during the reaction significantly improves the thermal stability and pH sensitivity of proteins. The modification of plant-derived protein using Maillard conjugation requires a comprehensive understanding of the influence of process conditions on the conjugation process. These factors can be used to establish a correlation with different functional and bioactive characteristics, to potentially adapt this approach for selective functionality enhancement and nutraceutical development. This review covers recent advances in plant-derived protein modification using Maillard conjugation, including different pretreatments to modify the functionality and bioactivity of plant proteins and their potential uses in practice. An overview of different properties of conjugates and MRPs, including food safety aspects, is given.