Mechanisms underlying the formation of non-thermal deamidated zein via synergistic treatment of cold plasma with acid: Improved foam performance

Zein with a modified fibrosis conformation has been demonstrated to be an effective surface component for stabilizing Pickering foam. In this study, a non-thermal deamidation method was developed using cold plasma (CP) in synergy with hydrochloric acid (HCl), tartaric acid (TA), and gluconolactone (GDL). The structure and properties of the material were investigated to better understand the mechanism of non-thermal deamidated zein synthesis. The results demonstrated that within 12 min, the degrees of deamidation (16.21, 14.14, and 8.35%) were regulated by the varying proton catalytic rates of HCl, TA, and GDL in the CP field. Following treatment, notable enhancements were observed in the solubility (0.12–0.28 mg/mL), foamability (50.00–166.67%), and foaming stability (106.67–128.00%) (P