The Molecular Properties of Peanut Protein: Impact of Temperature, Relative Humidity and Vacuum Packaging during Storage

This study aimed to investigate the variation of molecular functional properties of peanut protein isolate (PPI) over the storage process and reveal the correlation between the PPI secondary structure and properties in the storage procedure. After storage, the molecular properties of PPI changed significantly (p < 0.05). Extending storage time resulted in a decrease in free sulfhydryl content, fluorescence intensity, surface hydrophobicity and emulsifying properties, which was accompanied by an increase in protein particle size. The results of infrared spectroscopy suggested the content decline of α-helix and β-sheet, and the content rise of β-turn and random coil. Based on bivariate correlation analysis, it was revealed that surface hydrophobicity and emulsifying activity of PPI was significantly affected by α-helix and by β-turn (p < 0.05), respectively. This research supplied more information for the relationship between the peanut protein’s secondary structure and functional properties over the stored process.