Peroxyl radical-mediated oxidative crosslinking of faba and pea proteins: Differential aggregation behavior and implications for protein structuring

作者：Javiera Camus, María Carolina Moreno, Camilo López‐Alarcón, Pedro Bouchon · 发表于：Food Chemistry X · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1016/j.fochx.2026.104383 · 研究领域：Proteins in Food Systems、Enzyme Production and Characterization、Fungal and yeast genetics research

Faba and pea proteins are increasingly used as alternative proteins in plant-based food systems; however, their comparative susceptibility to oxidation by peroxyl radicals (ROO • ) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to compare the oxidative behavior of faba and pea proteins, individually and in mixtures, using ROO • generated by thermolysis of AAPH (2,2′-azobis(2-methylpropionamidine) dihydrochloride), to elucidate how protein profile influences the oxidative pattern. Oxidation induced similar levels of hydroperoxides and carbonyls, without major changes in secondary structure. However, faba proteins exhibited greater formation of high-molecular-mass aggregates than pea proteins. In faba proteins, crosslinked species were associated with formation of di-tyrosine and di-tryptophan mainly involving legumin-α, whereas oxidation in pea proteins was primarily linked to modification of the ~47 kDa vicilin fraction. These findings demonstrate that faba and pea proteins differ markedly in their oxidation-induced crosslinking behavior, highlighting the role of protein profile in modulating oxidative structural changes in plant-based protein systems.