Effect of Ethanol Extract of Tea on the Microstructural Features and Retrogradation Characteristics of Glutinous Rice Starch.

The glutinous rice starch (GRS) regeneration process could lead to decreased product quality and shorter shelf life. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of an ethanol extract of tea (EET) on the regeneration properties of GRS. The microstructure of starch was determined via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to determine the microstructure of starch-polyphenol molecular groups, an X-ray diffraction (XRD) instrument was used to determine the starch crystal structure, a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) was used to determine the thermodynamic properties of starch, and the inhibitory effect of EET on GRS regeneration was comprehensively evaluated. The effect of EET on the in vitro digestion properties of GRS was also determined. The results showed that the addition of EET in GRS resulted in an increase in solubility and swelling power and a decrease in crystallinity and ΔHr. Compared to the control group, when retrograded for 10 days, the ΔHr of GRS with 1%, 2.5%, 5%, and 10% addition of EET decreased by 34.61%, 44.53%, 52.93%, and 66.79%, respectively. Furthermore, the addition of EET resulted in a decrease in the content of RDS and an increase in the content of SDS and RS in GRS. It was shown that the addition of EET could significantly inhibit the retrogradation of GRS, improve the processability, and prolong the shelf life of GRS products.

Assessing the impact of plasma-activated water-assisted heat-moisture treatment on the extrusion-recrystallization process of hausa potato starch.

The study explored the plasma-activated water (PAW)-assisted heat-moisture treatment (HMT) on the structural, physico-chemical properties, and in vitro digestibility of extrusion-recrystallized starch. Native starch of hausa potatoes underwent modification through a dual process involving PAW-assisted HMT (PHMT) followed by extrusion-recrystallization (PERH) using a twin-screw extruder. The PHMT sample showed surface roughness and etching with a significantly greater (p ≤ 0.05) RC (20.12 %) and ΔH (5.86 J/g) compared to DHMT. In contrast, PERH-induced structural damage, resulting in an irregular block structure, and altered the crystalline pattern from A to B + V-type characterized by peaks at 17.04°, 19.74°, 22°, and 23.94°. DSC analysis showed two endothermic peaks in all the extrusion-recrystallized samples, having the initial peak attributed to the melting of structured amylopectin chains and the second one linked to the melting of complexes formed during retrogradation. Dual-modified samples displayed notably increased transition temperatures (To1 74.54 and 74.17 °C, To2 122.65 and 121.49 °C), along with increased RS content (43.76 %-45.30 %). This study envisages a novel approach for RS preparation and broadens the utilization of PAW in starch modification synergistically with environmentally friendly techniques.

Effect of different molecular weight ß-glucan hydrated with highland barley protein on the quality and in vitro starch digestibility of whole wheat bread.

Whole wheat bread has high nutritional value, but it has inferior baking quality and high glycemic index, which needs to be improved by methods such as adding protein and ß-glucan. This study investigated the effects of ß-glucan and highland barley protein of different molecular weights (2 × 104, 1 × 105, and 3 × 105 Da) and different hydrate methods (pre-hydrate and not pre-hydrate) on the characteristics of whole wheat dough and bread. The mixing properties and rheological properties demonstrated that ß-glucan pre-hydrated with highland barley protein were able to reduce the dough tan δ, reduce the dough viscoelasticity, while enhance the gluten network structure and dough deformation resistance. Compared to the control sample, the medium molecular weight pre-hydrate bread had a better specific volume of 3.21 mL/g, lower hardness of 527.28 g. In vitro starch digestion characteristics and ATR-FTIR showed that low and high molecular weight pre-hydrate increased the short-range ordered structure of starch and reduced the starch digestibility, while not pre-hydrated medium molecular weight hydrate had the lowest level of starch digestibility.

In vitro digestibility and solubility of phosphorus of three plant-based meat analogues.

Interest in plant-based meat analogues has increased and can be expected to be applied to pet foods, which necessitates the understanding of the nutrient supply in those foods. Our primary aim was to advance our understanding of the digestive properties of sterilized plant-based meat analogues. The impact of the preparatory processing steps on the solubility of meat analogues was studied. Meat analogues were made by mixing water, salt, and wheat gluten with soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate, or faba bean concentrate. Mixed materials were processed into model meat analogues using shear cell technology. Products were canned in water or gravy and sterilized. An animal-based canned pet food was made as a reference. Products sampled at the processing steps (mixing, shearing, sterilization) were digested in vitro. Samples of digestate were taken at the gastric phase (0 and 120 min) and small intestinal phase (120, 200, 280, and 360 min) for analysis of protein hydrolysis. The extent digestion of nitrogen and dry matter was determined at the end of incubation. Total phosphorus, soluble phosphorus after acid treatment, and after acid and enzymatic treatment were determined. The degree of hydrolysis after gastric digestion was low but increased immediately in the small intestinal phase; products based on pea had the highest values (56%). Nitrogen digestibility was above 90% for all materials at each processing step, indicating that bioactive compounds were absent or inactivated in the protein isolates and concentrate. Phytate seemed to play a minor role in meat analogues, but phosphorus solubility was influenced by processing. Shearing decreased soluble phosphorus, but this effect was partly reversed by sterilization. Nutrient digestibility as well as phosphorus solubility in plant-based products was higher than or comparable with the reference pet food. These findings show that the digestive properties of the tested plant-based meat analogues do not limit the supply of amino acids and phosphorus.

Physicochemical and digestive properties of corn starch nanoparticles incorporated different polyphenols.

The corn starch nanoparticles were prepared by incorporating three kinds of polyphenols, including quercetin, proanthocyanidins and tannin acid. The physicochemical and digestive properties of corn starch nanoparticles were researched. The quercetin showed a higher complexation index than proanthocyanidins and tannin acid when they complexed with corn starch. The mean size of corn starch quercetin, proanthocyanidins and tannin acid were 168.5 nm, 179.1 nm and 188.6 nm, respectively. XRD results indicated that all the corn starch-polyphenols complex showed V-type crystalline structure, the crystallinity of corn starch-quercetin complex was 19.31 %, which showed more formation of amylose-quercetin single helical formed than the other two starch-polyphenol complexes. In vitro digestion revealed that polyphenols could resist digestion and quercetin increased the content of resistant starch from 23.32 % to 35.24 % and polyphenols can form complexes with starch through hydrophobic interactions or hydrogen bonding. This study indicated the hydrophobic polyphenols had a more significant effect on the digestibility of corn starch. And the cell toxicity assessments demonstrated that all nanoparticles were nontoxic and biocompatible.

Genome-wide association study for in vitro digestibility and related traits in triticale forage.

BACKGROUND: Triticale is making its way on dairy farms as an alternative forage crop. This requires the availability of high-yielding triticale varieties with good digestibility. Triticale forage breeding mainly focussed on biomass yield, but efforts to improve digestibility are increasing. We previously investigated the interrelationships among different quality traits in soft dough triticale: starch, acid detergent fibre and in vitro digestibility of organic matter (IVOMD) and of neutral detergent fibre (IVNDFD) of the total plant, IVNDFD and Klason lignin of the stems, and ear proportion and stem length. Here we determine the genetic control of these traits, using a genome-wide association (GWAS) approach. A total of 33,231 DArTseq SNP markers assessed in a collection of 118 winter triticale genotypes, including 101 varieties and 17 breeding lines, were used. RESULTS: The GWAS identified a total of 53 significant marker-trait associations (MTAs). The highest number of significantly associated SNP markers (n = 10) was identified for total plant IVNDFD. A SNP marker on chromosome 1A (4211801_19_C/T; 474,437,796 bp) was found to be significantly associated with ear proportion, and plant and stem IVNDFD, with the largest phenotypic variation for ear proportion (R²p = 0.23). Based on MTAs, candidate genes were identified which were of particular relevance for variation in in vitro digestibility (IVD) because they are putatively involved in plasma membrane transport, cytoskeleton organisation, carbohydrate metabolic processes, protein phosphorylation, and sterol and cell wall biogenesis. Interestingly, a xyloglucan-related candidate gene on chromosome 2R, SECCE2Rv1G0126340, was located in close proximity of a SNP significantly associated with stem IVNDFD. Furthermore, quantitative trait loci previously reported in wheat co-localized with significantly associated SNP markers in triticale. CONCLUSIONS: A collection of 118 winter triticale genotypes combined with DArTseq SNP markers served as a source for identifying 53 MTAs and several candidate genes for forage IVD and related traits through a GWAS approach. Taken together, the results of this study demonstrate that the genetic diversity available in this collection can be further exploited for research and breeding purposes to improve the IVD of triticale forage.

Structural Features, Physicochemical Properties, and In Vitro Digestibility of the Starch-Lipid Complexes Formed between High Amylose Starch and Stearic Acid or Potassium Stearate.

Starch-lipid complexes were prepared from high amylose starch (HAS) with stearic acid (SA) or potassium stearate (PS) at different molar concentrations. The complexes (HAS-PS) formed between HAS and PS showed polyelectrolyte characteristics with ζ-potential ranging from -22.2 to -32.8 mV, and the electrostatic repulsion between anionic charges restricted the starch chain reassociation and facilitated the formation of V-type crystalline structures upon cooling. The hydrophobic effects enabled recrystallization of the SA, and the HAS-SA complexes exhibited weaker V-type crystalline structures than the HAS-PS complexes; both HAS-SA/PS complexes were of a similar "mass fractal" type, with a dimension varied from 2.15 to 2.96. The HAS-SA complexes had a considerable content of resistant starch (RS, 16.1~29.2%), whereas negligible RS was found in the HAS-PS complexes. The findings from the present study imply that the molecular order of starch chains and the macro-structures of starch particles are more important to regulate the digestibility of starch-lipid complexes than the crystalline structures.

Pre-dry heat treatment alters the structure and ultimate in vitro digestibility of wheat starch-lipids complex in hot-extrusion 3D printing.

Herein, we proposed dry heat treatment (DHT) as a pre-treatment method for modifying printed materials, with a particular focus on its application in the control of starch-lipid interactions during hot-extrusion 3D printing (HE-3DP). The results showed that pre-DHT could promote the complexation of wheat starch (WS) and oleic acid (OA)/corn oil (CO) during HE-3DP and thus increase the resistant starch (RS) content. From the structural perspectives, pre-DHT could break starch molecular chains into lower relative molecular weight which enhanced the starch-lipids hydrophobic interactions to form the V-type crystalline structure during HE-3DP. Notably, pre-DHT could also induce the formation of complexed structure which was maintained during HE-3DP. Compared with CO, OA with linear hydrophobic chains was easier to enter the spiral cavity of starch to form more ordered structures, resulting in higher RS content of 27.48 %. Overall, the results could provide basic data for designing nutritional starchy food systems by HE-3DP.

Evaluating the effect of thermo-reversible and thermo-irreversible curdlan gels on the gelling properties and in vitro digestibility of myofibrillar protein gels under low-salt condition.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the gelling properties and in vitro digestibility of myofibrillar protein (MP) gels under low-salt condition as mediated by different concentrations of thermo-reversible curdlan gels (TRC) or thermo-irreversible curdlan gels (TIRC). The results showed that the incorporation of TRC or TIRC obviously improved the gel strength and water holding capacity of MP gels (P < 0.05). Those properties were most improved by adding 0.3 % TRC or TIRC with gel strength of 0.18 N or 0.17 N and WHC of 54.85 % or 49.05 %. Meanwhile, both TRC and TIRC promoted the transformation of α-helix into ß-sheet, as well as hydrophobic interactions and disulfide bonds, which are the main forces for the maintenance of the MP gels. The microstructure revealed that the formation of dense and uniform protein network structures can be promoted by the addition of TRC or TIRC. The different modes of interaction between TRC or TIRC and MP resulted in different microstructures of the MP gels. Furthermore, incorporation of TRC or TIRC significantly reduced in vitro protein digestibility, especially for the 0.3 % (w/w) form (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, MP gels had the lowest in vitro protein digestibility after the addition of TRC (66.67 %) compared to the form of TIRC (70.93 %). Therefore, our present study indicated that incorporation form of TRC or TIRC have distinct implications on regulating the gelling properties and in vitro digestibility of MP gels under low-salt condition.

Microalgae Proteins as Sustainable Ingredients in Novel Foods: Recent Developments and Challenges.

Microalgae are receiving increased attention in the food sector as a sustainable ingredient due to their high protein content and nutritional value. They contain up to 70% proteins with the presence of all 20 essential amino acids, thus fulfilling human dietary requirements. Microalgae are considered sustainable and environmentally friendly compared to traditional protein sources as they require less land and a reduced amount of water for cultivation. Although microalgae's potential in nutritional quality and functional properties is well documented, no reviews have considered an in-depth analysis of the pros and cons of their addition to foods. The present work discusses recent findings on microalgae with respect to their protein content and nutritional quality, placing a special focus on formulated food products containing microalgae proteins. Several challenges are encountered in the production, processing, and commercialization of foods containing microalgae proteins. Solutions presented in recent studies highlight the future research and directions necessary to provide solutions for consumer acceptability of microalgae proteins and derived products.

Effects of two celery fibers on the structural properties and digestibility of glutinous rice starch: A comparative study.

The present study focused on the extraction of water-soluble dietary fiber (CSDF) and water-insoluble dietary fiber (CIDF) from celery. It investigated their effects on glutinous rice starch's (GRS) physicochemical, structural, and digestive properties. The results showed that as the addition of the two dietary fibers increased, they compounded with GRS to varying degrees, with the complexing index reaching 69.41 % and 60.81 %, respectively. The rheological results indicated that the two dietary fibers reduced the viscosity of GRS during pasting and inhibited the short-term regrowth of starch. The FTIR and XRD results revealed that the two fibers interacted with GRS through hydrogen bonding, effectively inhibiting starch retrogradation. Furthermore, both fibers increased the pasting temperature of GRS, thus delaying its pasting and exhibiting better thermal stability. Regarding digestibility, the starch gels containing dietary fibers exhibited significantly reduced digestibility, with RS significantly increased by 8.15 % and 8.95 %, respectively. This study provides insights into the interaction between two dietary fibers and GRS during processing. It enriches the theoretical model of dietary fiber-starch interaction and provides a reference for the application development of starch-based functional foods.

Integrated ultra-high pressure and salt addition to improve the in vitro digestibility of myofibrillar proteins from scallop mantle (Patinopecten yessoensis).

Myofibrillar protein (MP) is susceptible to the effect of ionic strength and ultra-high pressure (UHP) treatment, respectively. However, the impact of UHP combined with ionic strength on the structure and in vitro digestibility of MP from scallop mantle (Patinopecten yessoensis) is not yet clear. Therefore, it is particularly important to analyze the structural properties and enhance the in vitro digestibility of MP by NaCl and UHP treatment. The findings demonstrated that as ionic strength increased, the α-helix and ß-sheet gradually transformed into ß-turn and random coil. The decrease of endogenous fluorescence intensity indicated the formation of a more stable tertiary structure. Additionally, the exposure of internal sulfhydryl groups increased the amount of total sulfhydryl content, and reactive sulfhydryl groups gradually transformed into disulfide bonds. Moreover, it reduces aggregation through increased solubility, decreased turbidity, particle sizes, and a relatively dense and uniform microstructure. When MP from the scallop mantle was treated with 0.5 mol/L ionic strength and 200 MPa UHP treatment, it had the highest solubility (90.75 ± 0.13%) and the lowest turbidity (0.41 ± 0.03). The scallop mantle MP with NaCl of 0.3 mol/L and UHP treatment had optimal in vitro digestibility (95.14 ± 2.01%). The findings may offer a fresh perspectives for developing functional foods for patients with dyspepsia and a theoretical foundation for the comprehensive utilization of scallop mantle by-products with low concentrations of NaCl.

The multi-scale structures and in vitro digestibility of starches with different crystalline types induced by dielectric barrier discharge plasma.

The effects of plasma treatment on multi-scale structures and in vitro digestibility of starches isolated from Tartary buckwheat (TBS), potato (PTS), and pea (PS), were investigated. The results from SEM and CLSM showed that plasma treatment resulted in the extension of pores from the starch hilum to the surface. The XRD and 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra demonstrated that the crystalline type of three starches was not changed by plasma treatment, while the RC and double helix content of TBS increased. Besides, the single helix content and the proportion of amorphous phase decreased following the treatment, which was consistent with the result of SAXS. However, the PTS and PS showed the opposite results by plasma treatment. In addition, the modification significantly changed the molecular weight (Mw) and chain length distribution of all the starches, among which the Mw of PTS fell drastically from 2.45 × 107 g/mol to 1.74 × 107 g/mol. The in vitro digestibility of starches increased significantly when treated with plasma, in which TBS exhibited the biggest increase for its inside-out and side-by-side digestion manners. Therefore, plasma treatment led to different alteration trends for multi-scale structures with quite various change extent for in vitro digestibility about different crystalline starches.

Preparation of starch-palmitic acid complexes by three different starches: A comparative study using the method of heating treatment and autoclaving treatment.

Recent research emphasizes the growing importance of starch-lipid complexes due to their anti-digestibility ability, prompting a need to explore the impact of different starch sources and preparation methods on their properties. In this study, starch-palmitic acid (PA) complexes were prepared by three different starches including Tartary buckwheat starch (TBS), potato starch (PTS), and pea starch (PS) by heating treatment (HT) and autoclaving treatment (AT), respectively, and their physicochemical property and in vitro digestibility were systematically compared. The formation of the starch-PA complex was confirmed through various characterization techniques, including scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. Among the complexes, the PTS-PA complex exhibited the highest complexation index over 80 %, while the PS-PA complex had the lowest rapid digestible starch content (56.49-59.42 %). Additionally, the complexes prepared by AT exhibited higher resistant starch content (41.95-32.46 %) than those prepared by HT (31.42-32.49 %), while the complexes prepared by HT held better freeze-thaw stability and hydration ability than those prepared by AT. This study highlights the important role of starch sources in the physicochemical and digestibility properties of starch-lipid complex and the potential application of AT in the preparation of novel resistant starch.

Pressure-dominated steam explosion for modifying textured soy proteins: Structure and in vitro digestion kinetics.

Textured Soy Proteins (TSPs) have been employed as building blocks in various food processes, but their availability remains limited. In this research, influence of Steam Explosion (SE) with pressure ranges (0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 MPa) on the structure and in vitro digestibility of TSPs was investigated. The results showed that 0.5 and 1.0 MPa significantly increased the relative content of ß-sheets and decreased the relative content of α-helices and ß-turns. Correlation analysis revealed that the structural changes made the TSP brittle, with lower thermal stability and resistance to digestion. Moreover, SE decreased the degree of hydrolysis of TSPs in the gastric stage, with the lowest degree observed for the TSP at 0.5 MPa. However, in the intestinal phase, 1.0 and 1.5 MPa significantly increased the hydrolysis degree. These findings provide a better understanding of the SE pressure-modulated quality characteristics of TSPs and suggest the processing potential of modified TSPs as functional ingredients.

Encapsulation of lactic acid bacteria in W1/O/W2 emulsions stabilized by mucilage:pectin complexes.

Opuntia silvestri mucilage obtained from dried stems was explored as an emulsifier to prepare double emulsions aiming to encapsulate Lactiplantibacillus plantarum CIDCA 83114. W1/O/W2 emulsions were prepared using a two-step emulsification method. The aqueous phase (W1) consisted of L. plantarum CIDCA 83114, and the oil phase (O) of sunflower oil. The second emulsion was prepared by mixing the internal W1/O emulsion with the W2 phase, consisting of 4 % polysaccharides, formulated with different mucilage:(citric)pectin ratios. Their stability was assessed after preparation (day 0) and during storage at 4 °C (28 days). Determinations included creaming index, color, particle size, viscosity, turbidity, and bacterial viability, along with exposure to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Significant differences were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Duncan's test (P < 0.05). After 28 days storage, bacterial viability in the W1/O/W2 emulsions was above 6 log CFU/mL for all the pectin:mucilage ratios. Emulsions containing mucilage and pectins showed lower creaming indices after 15 days, remaining stable until the end of the storage period. Formulations including 1:1 pectin:mucilage ratio exhibited the highest bacterial viability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions and were more homogeneous in terms of droplet size distributions at day 0, hinting at a synergistic effect between mucilage components (e.g., proteins, Ca2+) and pectin in stabilizing the emulsions. These results showed that Opuntia silvestri mucilage enhanced the stability of emulsions during refrigerated storage, highlighting its potential for encapsulating lactic acid bacteria. This presents an economical and natural alternative to traditional encapsulating materials.

Effect of high moisture extrusion on the structure and physicochemical properties of Tartary buckwheat protein and its in vitro digestion.

Tartary buckwheat is rich in nutrients and its protein supports numerous biological functions. However, the digestibility of Tartary buckwheat protein (TBP) poses a significant limitation owing to its inherent structure. This study aimed to assess the impact of high moisture extrusion (HME, 60 % moisture content) on the structural and physicochemical attributes, as well as the in vitro digestibility of TBP. Our results indicated that TBP exhibited unfolded and amorphous microstructures after HME. The protein molecular weight of TBP decreased after HME, and a greater degradation was observed at 70 °C than 100 °C. In particular, HME at 70 °C caused an almost complete disappearance of bands near 35 kDa compared with HME at 100 °C. In addition, compared with native TBP (NTBP, 44.53 µmol/g protein), TBP subjected to HME at 70 °C showed a lower disulfide bond (SS) content (42.67 µmol/g protein), whereas TBP subjected to HME at 100 °C demonstrated a higher SS content (45.70 µmol/g protein). These changes endowed TBP with good solubility (from 55.96 % to 83.31 % at pH 7), foaming ability (20.00 %-28.57 %), and surface hydrophobicity (8.34-23.07). Furthermore, the emulsifying activity (EA) and in vitro digestibility are closely related to SS content. Notably, extruded TBP (ETBP) obtained at 70 °C exhibited higher EA and digestibility than NTBP, whereas ETBP obtained at 100 °C showed the opposite trend. Consequently, HME (especially at 70 °C) demonstrated significant potential as a processing technique for improving the functional and digestive properties of TBP.

Effect of Konjac Glucomannan on Structure, Physicochemical Properties, and In Vitro Digestibility of Yam Starch during Extrusion.

In this study, the effect of konjac glucomannan (KGM, 0-5%) on the structure, physicochemical properties, and in vitro digestibility of extruded yam starch (EYS) was investigated. The EYS became rougher on the surface and the particle size increased as observed using scanning electron microscopy and particle size analysis. X-ray diffraction and Raman results revealed that the relative crystallinity (18.30% to 22.30%) of EYS increased, and the full width at half maxima at 480 cm-1 decreased with increasing KGM content, indicating the increment of long-range and short-range ordered structure. Differential scanning calorimetry and rheological results demonstrated that KGM enhanced thermal stability and the gel strength of EYS due to enhanced interaction between KGM and YS molecules. Additionally, a decrease in the swelling power and viscosity of EYS was observed with increased KGM content. The inclusion of KGM in the EYS increased the resistant starch content from 11.89% to 43.51%. This study provides a dual-modified method using extrusion and KGM for modified YS with high thermal stability, gel strength, and resistance to digestion.

Effects of Germination on the Structure, Functional Properties, and In Vitro Digestibility of a Black Bean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) Protein Isolate.

The utilization of black beans as a protein-rich ingredient presents remarkable prospects in the protein food industry. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of germination treatment on the physicochemical, structural, and functional characteristics of a black bean protein isolate. The findings indicate that germination resulted in an increase in both the total and soluble protein contents of black beans, while SDS-PAGE demonstrated an increase in the proportion of 11S and 7S globulin subunits. After germination, the particle size of the black bean protein isolate decreased in the solution, while the absolute value of the zeta potential increased. The above results show that the stability of the solution was improved. The contents of ß-sheet and ß-turn gradually decreased, while the content of α-helix increased, and the fluorescence spectrum of the black bean protein isolate showed a red shift phenomenon, indicating that the structure of the protein isolate and its polypeptide chain were prolonged, and the foaming property, emulsification property and in vitro digestibility were significantly improved after germination. Therefore, germination not only improves functional properties, but also nutritional content.

Nutritional and physicochemical characteristics of Asiatic hard clam powder prepared by different cook-drying processes: a comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Asiatic hard clam (Meretrix meretrix) is an underutilized bivalve resource. This study discusses dried clam powders prepared from this resource to enhance its utilization and improve nutritional security in protein-deficient populations. Dried clam powder was prepared from Asiatic hard clam and the effects of different pre-cooking methods (boil-dried clam powder, BDCP; steam-dried clam powder, SDCP; and microwave-dried clam powder, MDCP) on nutritional (proximate composition, amino acid profiling, mineral profiling, fatty acid profiling) and physicochemical qualities were investigated. RESULTS: Different pre-cooking methods significantly influenced the characteristics of the clam powder. The MDCP sample showed the highest concentration of amino acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, Na, K, Ca and Mg content compared to BDCP and SDCP. The boiling process led to a loss of nutritional quality in terms of amino acids and macrominerals. The MDCP displayed the highest solubility in water (30.10%) but its oil and water absorption characteristics were the lowest among all the samples. Boil-cooked clam powder displayed the highest oil binding (2.03 mL g-1 protein) capacity. Boiling and steaming processes resulted in malondialdehyde generation compared to microwaving. Different pre-cooking processes did not influence the colour attributes significantly, but the control sample prepared without pre-cooking (CCP) had a significantly lower L* value (32.34), resulting in a darker product. In vitro digestibility of the clam powder varied in the order MDCP > SDCP > BDCP > CCP. CONCLUSION: The study demonstrated that nutritionally rich protein powder can be prepared from Asiatic hard clam. Based on the results, microwave pre-cooking is considered the best pre-cooking method to preserve the nutritional qualities of clam powder. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.