Adv Polym Sci (2014) 256: 67–102
DOI: 10.1007/12_2012_201
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 4 April 2013
Spontaneous Assembly and Induced Aggregation
of Food Proteins
Saı ¨d Bouhallab and Thomas Croguennec
Abstract Beyond their nutritional value, food proteins are a versatile group of
biopolymers with a considerable number of functionalities throughout their extensive
structures, conformations and interaction–aggregation behaviour in solution. In the
present paper, we give an overview of the induced aggregation and spontaneous
reversible assembly of food proteins that lead to a diversity of supramolecular
structures. After a brief description of the properties of some food proteins, the first
part summarises the aggregation processes that lead to supramolecular structures with
a variety of morphologies and sizes. The second part reports on the requirements that
drive spontaneous assembly of oppositely charged proteins into reversible supramolecular structures. The promising new applications of these structures in food and
non-food sectors are also mentioned.
Keywords Aggregation Á Food proteins Á Interactions Á Self-assembly Á Supramolecular structures
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2 Structure and Properties of Some Food Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.1 General Aspects of Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.2 β-Lactoglobulin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2.3 Serum Albumin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2.4 α-Lactalbumin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2.5 Ovalbumin . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 74
S. Bouhallab (*) and T. Croguennec
INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l’œuf, 35042 Rennes, France
Agrocampus Ouest, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l’œuf, 35042 Rennes, France
e-mail: Said.bouhallab@rennes.inra.fr
DOI: 10.1007/12_2012_201
# Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
Published online: 4 April 2013
Spontaneous Assembly and Induced Aggregation
of Food Proteins
Saı ¨d Bouhallab and Thomas Croguennec
Abstract Beyond their nutritional value, food proteins are a versatile group of
biopolymers with a considerable number of functionalities throughout their extensive
structures, conformations and interaction–aggregation behaviour in solution. In the
present paper, we give an overview of the induced aggregation and spontaneous
reversible assembly of food proteins that lead to a diversity of supramolecular
structures. After a brief description of the properties of some food proteins, the first
part summarises the aggregation processes that lead to supramolecular structures with
a variety of morphologies and sizes. The second part reports on the requirements that
drive spontaneous assembly of oppositely charged proteins into reversible supramolecular structures. The promising new applications of these structures in food and
non-food sectors are also mentioned.
Keywords Aggregation Á Food proteins Á Interactions Á Self-assembly Á Supramolecular structures
Contents
1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
2 Structure and Properties of Some Food Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.1 General Aspects of Proteins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
2.2 β-Lactoglobulin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2.3 Serum Albumin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2.4 α-Lactalbumin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
2.5 Ovalbumin . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 74
S. Bouhallab (*) and T. Croguennec
INRA, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l’œuf, 35042 Rennes, France
Agrocampus Ouest, UMR1253 Science et Technologie du Lait et de l’œuf, 35042 Rennes, France
e-mail: Said.bouhallab@rennes.inra.fr