Effects of camellia seed cake protein on the printability, antioxidant activity and digestive performance of 3D-printed plant protein meat analogues

This paper aims to explore the feasibility of enhancing the printing performance of 3D-printed meat analogues by varying the substitution amount of camellia seed cake protein (SCP) in the edible ink system based on proteins and polysaccharides. It covers the ink formulation, rheological properties and product analysis. The addition of SCP can significantly enhance the apparent viscosity, mechanical strength, and water retention capacity of the inks. While also promoting the formation of a denser structure, thereby enhancing the self-supporting capability and precision of the printed samples. The DPPH and ABTS + value of the printed samples improved from 17.77 ± 3.18 % and 27.88 ± 3.18 % to 81.89 ± 1.59 % and 43.80 ± 1.02 %, respectively. The in vitro digestibility of the protein increased from 72.31 ± 0.72 % to 81.30 ± 2.62 %. The results indicate that SCP holds promising application prospects in food 3D printing.