Physicochemical and functional properties of buckwheat (Fagpopyrum esculentum Moench) albumin

Buckwheat albumin is a promising functional food material that can suppress postprandial blood glucose elevation. Here, we studied the physicochemical and functional properties of buckwheat albumin such as thermal resistance, solubility, and emulsifying and foaming properties to evaluate its potential for application in various foods such as mayonnaise, ice cream, meringues and sponge cake. The denaturation temperature of buckwheat albumin was measured using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) with and without the addition of dithiothreitol (DTT), and solubility in the pH range of 3.0-6.0 was measured as protein concentration in supernatant before and after heating. Emulsifying and foaming properties of buckwheat albumin were also evaluated before and after hydrolysis by protease. Buckwheat albumin exhibited high thermal resistance with a denaturation temperature of 148.4 degrees C. However, the peak temperature of DSC thermogram decreased and denaturation enthalpy increased with DTT addition. High solubility was observed at pH 3.0-6.0, which was retained even after heating at 80 degrees C for 20 min. Furthermore, buckwheat albumin showed high emulsifying and foaming properties in the pH range 3.0-6.0. Although its emulsifying property was decreased on protease treatment, high foaming capacity was maintained even after hydrolysis. These findings suggested that buckwheat albumin can be widely used in various functional foods.