What is PG and how does it work?

Protein-glutaminase works by hydrolyzing the C-terminal glutamine residues in peptides or proteins, and releasing ammonia as a by-product¹ The enzyme has a high specificity for the substrate Cbz-Gln-Gly, which is a synthetic tripeptide that mimics the glutamine residue in proteins¹ The enzyme can deamidate various plant-based proteins, such as soy protein isolate, wheat gluten, rice protein, and pea protein¹ The degree of deamidation depends on the enzyme concentration, reaction time, temperature, pH, and protein type¹

Deamidation can change the properties of plant-based proteins, such as their flavor, solubility, emulsifying and foaming abilities, allergenicity, and bioactivity^2,1,3 For example, deamidation can increase the amount of glutamic acid in plant-based proteins, which is a natural flavor enhancer that gives foods a savory taste^2,1 Deamidation can also increase the number of negatively charged carboxyl groups in plant-based proteins, which can improve their solubility and interaction with water molecule^2,1 Deamidation can also alter the epitopes of plant-based proteins, which are the parts of the protein that are recognized by the immune system. This can reduce their allergenicity and immunoreactivity for people with food allergies or intolerances^2,1