FOOD SCIENCE ›› 2019, Vol. 40 ›› Issue (23): 305-312.doi: 10.7506/spkx1002-6630-20181109-100

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A Review of the Mechanism of Action of Plant Antifreeze Proteins and Their Application in Food

YU Jing, HU Yingying, WEN Rongxin, QIN Ligang, CHEN Qian   

  1. (1. School of Food Science, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China;2. School of Animal Science and Technology, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China)
  • Online:2019-12-15 Published:2019-12-24

Abstract: Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) are a family of proteins with thermal hysteresis activity that bind to ice crystals, inhibit?their growth, reduce the freezing point, and suppress recrystallization. AFPs play a positive role in prolonging the storage period and improving the quality of frozen food products due to their special structures and functions. This article provides a brief review of recent studies on plant AFPs with respect to their mechanism of action in food processing, the currently available methods for their separation and purification, and their applications in food in the future. It is expected to provide a theoretical basis for the application of plant-derived AFPs in frozen food products.

Key words: plants, antifreeze proteins, mechanism of action, food application

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