Abstract: This study investigated the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma-assisted glycation on the structural and functional properties of β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg), aiming to develop a processing method for enhancing the functional properties of β-Lg. Solid and liquid mixtures of β-Lg and lactose were treated with DBD plasma and were analyzed for structural changes using circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, intrinsic fluorescence spectroscopy, and UV absorption spectroscopy. Functional properties were evaluated by determining the thermal stability, solubility, emulsifying properties, and in vitro digestibility. The results showed that DBD plasma-assisted glycation altered the structure of β-Lg, decreasing the surface hydrophobicity, reducing the contents of α-helix and random coil, and increasing the β-sheet content. Compared with native β-Lg, DBD plasma treatment (at 72 W for 3.5 min) significantly increased the emulsifying activity index (EAI) of β-Lg in solid and solution states by 63.9% and 48.3% (P < 0.05), and the emulsion stability index (ESI) by 66.1% and 40.1% (P < 0.05), respectively. Furthermore, this treatment increased the solubility and in vitro digestibility of β-Lg in both states. In conclusion, DBD plasma-assisted glycation improves the functional properties of β-Lg by modifying its structure. This finding provides a theoretical basis for the application of plasma-assisted glycation technology in protein modification.

Key words: dielectric barrier discharge plasma; glycation; functional properties; structure; β-lactoglobulin