Impact of various plant protein isolates (lupin, chickpea, pea, and soy) on the quality parameters of vegan mayonnaise

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of various plant protein isolates (including lupin, chickpea, pea, and soy) used as egg yolk substitutes on the physicochemical, rheological, and textural properties of vegan mayonnaise and compared these formulations with conventional mayonnaise. Various methods were used to assess emulsion quality, including pH, stability, colorimetric analysis (L*, a*, b*), apparent viscosity, and textural profile analysis. The findings indicated that the control group exhibited the most stable emulsion, with 96.74% stability and a maximum apparent viscosity of 4.85 Pa·s. Among plant isolates, soy protein nearly matched egg yolk thanks to its strong network of hydrophobic amino acids, with 92.49% emulsion stability and 81.39 g textural behavior. Lupin protein showed a color profile (b* = 25.61) similar to egg yolk because of its pigments and effectively preserved structural integrity with 90.96% emulsion stability. Chickpea and pea proteins showed emulsion stabilities of 86.21% and 78.53%, respectively, but formed a more fluid emulsion matrix with lower viscosities of 1.32 Pa.s and 1.27 Pa.s. The pH values of all analyzed formulations ranged from 3.63 to 4.04, remaining within an acceptable acidic range designed to ensure microbial stability. In conclusion, soy and lupin proteins provide innovative structural and aesthetic alternatives for the production of vegan mayonnaise.