Structural modifications of plant proteins through fermentation: unlocking their functional and sensory potential in food applications

Plant proteins are increasingly explored as alternatives to conventional protein sources in efforts to reduce environmental pressures associated with food production and contribute to broader sustainability goals. However, their wider application in food products is limited by their inherent structural characteristics that affect both their functionality and sensory quality, highlighting the need for plant protein modification approaches to enhance their performance in food formulations. This review focuses on microbial fermentation as a strategy to induce structural modifications in plant proteins and explores how the changes brought by microbe selection and fermentation conditions can influence functionality, sensory attributes, and their performance in food matrices. The mechanisms behind these changes are also discussed, as well as the challenges and limitations of fermentation as a modification technique, identifying key areas that require further investigation. A deeper understanding of these transformations can guide efforts for optimizing plant protein ingredients and improving product quality for various food applications.