Synergistic effects of heating and ultrasonic co-treatment on pea protein functionality: Self-assembled protein carriers for enhanced resveratrol solubility

A sequential heating and ultrasonic co-treatment was developed to structurally modify pea protein (PP) and enhance its performance as a self-assembled nanocarrier for resveratrol (RES). The impact of this co-treatment on PP's molecular structure and its subsequent RES encapsulation efficiency via pH-driven self-assembly was evaluated. Structural characterization confirmed that the treatment induced significant molecular reconfigurations, including covalent cross-linking through carbonyl formation, amino group oxidation, and sulfhydryl-to-disulfide bond conversion. These modifications directly improved the functional properties of PP. The optimal treatment (20 min heating followed by 30 min sonication, H 20 U 30 ) increased PP solubility by 194.77 % compared to the untreated control. Subsequent self-assembly with RES was most effective under alkaline conditions, a process governed predominantly by hydrophobic interactions and van der Waals forces. This treatment enhanced the resveratrol loading capacity of the pea protein by 115.19 % relative to its native counterpart. These findings demonstrate that sequential heating-ultrasound treatment is an effective strategy for engineering PP, markedly improving its solubility and capacity for encapsulating poorly soluble nutraceuticals. This pre-modification approach represents a valuable method for developing advanced delivery systems in functional foods.