Food matrix impact on rheological and digestive properties of protein-enriched and texture-modified mushroom creams

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the food matrix impact of adding two different proteins, whey protein (WP), bovine gelatin protein (BG) or their respective hydrolysates (WPH or BGH), and two hydrocolloids, neutral modified waxy-maize starch (MS) or charged carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), on flow and viscoelastic properties, oral processing, and in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of protein-enriched and texture-modified mushroom creams. All the samples exhibited a weak gel behaviour; however, BG-MS, WP-CMC, WPH-CMC, and BGH-CMC mushroom creams would be considered safer to swallow by dysphagic and elderly people due to their good elasticity degree and resistance to deformation. The addition of saliva during oral processing produced remarkable changes in consistency, adhesiveness, and viscosity of samples containing MS as thickener, which could prevent a safe swallowing. Samples with hydrolysates as protein source and the anionic CMC as thickener could form a compact structure that led to high viscosity and consistency values up to the gastric phase, but they could reduce protein digestibility at the end of the simulated gastrointestinal digestion. This study evidences how protein-hydrocolloid interactions and the food matrix determine the rheological and digestibility properties of samples, which must be considered in the design of foods to meet the specific needs of certain population groups such as dysphagic or elderly people.