Processing–Structure–Function Relationships in Underutilized Plant Resources for Tailored Food Ingredient Design

Incorporating ingredients derived from underutilized plant resources into food formulations requires more than compositional and functional characterization. Their technological performance is governed by molecular organization, intermolecular interactions, aggregation state, particle characteristics, and interfacial behavior, all of which can be deliberately modified during processing. Thermal, physical, enzymatic, fermentative, and emerging technologies can induce structural and physicochemical transformations that affect solubility, water- and oil-holding capacity, emulsification, foaming, gelation, and rheological behavior.Despite growing interest in alternative plant-derived ingredients, establishing mechanistic links between processing conditions, structural transformations, and resulting techno-functional responses remains essential for predicting and controlling ingredient performance. Understanding these relationships can enable the transition from empirical resource utilization toward the rational design of ingredients with targeted technological functionality in food systems.Underutilized plant resources and agro-industrial by-products represent promising sources of proteins, polysaccharides, and other macromolecular components for food ingredient development. However, their technological application is often limited by inadequate solubility, hydration, interfacial, rheological, or gelling properties. Controlled processing and targeted modification strategies offer opportunities to overcome these limitations by inducing structural and physicochemical changes that can be translated into specific functional attributes.This Research Topic aims to advance the mechanistic understanding of processing–structure–function relationships in ingredients derived from underutilized plant resources. Particular emphasis will be placed on how processing-induced modifications at molecular, supramolecular, and physicochemical levels determine techno-functional performance. By establishing relationships among processing conditions, structural transformations, and resulting functionality, this collection seeks to move beyond empirical ingredient characterization toward the rational design of plant-derived ingredients with predictable and tailored properties for specific food applications.Studies integrating structural characterization with techno-functional performance are particularly encouraged. Studies focused exclusively on compositional characterization, extraction yield, bioactivity, health effects, sensory evaluation, consumer perception, sustainability assessment, or nutritional characterization, without a direct mechanistic connection to processing-induced structural modification and ingredient functionality, fall outside the primary scope of this collection.Themes of interest include, but are not limited to:• Thermal, physical, enzymatic, fermentative, and emerging processing strategies for targeted modification of plant-derived ingredients• Processing-induced molecular, supramolecular, conformational, and physicochemical changes• Protein-protein, protein-polysaccharide, and other macromolecular interactions• Aggregation, particle behavior, and interfacial phenomena• Relationships between structural modification and solubility, hydration, emulsification, foaming, gelation, rheology, and related techno-functional properties• Mechanistic or predictive approaches linking processing conditions, structural transformations, and ingredient performance• Application of structurally tailored ingredients in food systems where technological functionality is directly demonstratedWe welcome Original Research and Review articles focused on understanding and controlling the techno-functional behavior of ingredients derived from underutilized plant resources through processing and targeted structural modification. Topic editors: Carolina Calderón-Chiu, M. Ahmad, Mayra Nicolás-García Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/87107/processing-structure-function-relationships-in-underutilized-plant-resources-for-tailored-food-ingredient-design