Xia Xiang

Specialty oilseeds, encompassing herbaceous (sunflower, flaxseed, sesame) and woody (Camellia oleifera, walnut, olive) species, serve as important sustainable sources of plant proteins that are inherently enriched with structurally diverse endogenous polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid, lignans, catechins, and ellagitannins. During processing, these polyphenols drive covalent or non-covalent interactions that profoundly reshape the physicochemical and functional properties of the resulting food systems. While prior reviews have largely remained descriptive or focused on single commodities or model proteins, this work provides the first critical, multiscale synthesis across herbaceous and woody oilseeds. We systematically compare polyphenol diversity, delineate the continuum from reversible non-covalent association (specific residue-level vs. non-specific surface-mediated) to irreversible covalent coupling, and establish a “structure–interaction–function” framework that explicitly defines a condition-dependent “Processing Window”. Within this window, moderate interactions enhance interfacial viscoelasticity, oxidative stability, foaming, and emulsification; excessive cross-linking, however, impairs solubility, digestibility, and sensory quality. By integrating experimental spectroscopy (UV-vis, FT-IR, CD, ITC), microscopic imaging, and computational simulations (molecular docking and dynamics), we map residue-level binding modes directly to macroscopic functional outcomes. Furthermore, the review evaluates the engineering potential of these complex systems in frontier applications such as antioxidant emulsions and active packaging. By explicitly identifying evidence boundaries and quantitative knowledge gaps in endogenous matrices, this work provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for the precision design and valorization of specialty oilseed-derived functional ingredients.

This study developed a novel ternary nanoparticle system (SPI-SLE-HAIN) by integrating a hyaluronic acid-inulin conjugate (HAIN) into a soy protein isolate–sesame leaf extract (SPI-SLE) complex to stabilize Pickering emulsions (PEs) for enhanced delivery of ɑ-linolenic acid (ALA). The successful synthesis of HAIN via esterification was confirmed by 1H NMR and FTIR. Following combined heat-ultrasound treatment to induce SPI unfolding, HAIN modulated the assembly of compact nanoparticles. At the optimal SPI:SLE ratio (20:1) and HAIN concentration (0.2%), the nanoparticles showed uniform size (~150 nm), low PDI, high negative zeta potential, enhanced amphiphilicity and antioxidant capacity. These nanoparticles formed a robust interfacial layer, endowing PEs excellent stability against thermal treatment, freeze-thaw cycles, and ionic strength. Rheological and lipid oxidation analyses indicated a balanced viscoelastic network and significantly reduced hydroperoxide and malondialdehyde formation. In vitro digestion and cellular assays demonstrated that the HAIN-mediated interface regulated lipase accessibility, enabling controlled free fatty acid release and improving cellular uptake (16.22%) and transport efficiency (12.36%), ultimately enhancing ALA bioavailability (13.92%). Molecular simulations further showed that HAIN and SLE synergistically stabilized SPI via hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding. These findings highlight the potential of carbohydrate conjugates in high-performance lipid delivery systems.

Flax lignans enhance the metabolic conversion of ALA to n-3 LCPUFAs via structure-specific metabolic routes and metabolite uptake, modulating key processes such as ALA absorption, transport, and hepatic metabolism.