Ultrasound‐Induced Modification of Grape Seed Protein Hydrolysate: Effect of Treatment Time on Functional, Structural, and Morphological Properties

ABSTRACT The impact of high intensity ultrasound treatment (HIUT) on various characteristics of grape seed protein hydrolysates was examined. The HIUT conditions used for the modification of grape seed protein hydrolysate were 5, 10, 20, 30, and 40 min (time), 20 kHz (frequency), and 500 W (power). Functional, structural, morphological, in vitro digestibility, and antioxidant characteristics of the ultrasonicated grape seed protein hydrolysates were assessed. The results indicated that ultrasonication treatment markedly disturbed the peptide aggregates of protein hydrolysate. Ultrasonication substantially enhanced protein solubility, emulsifying potential, water holding capacity, and oil holding capacity. The grape seed protein hydrolysate's morphological structure validated the substantial effect of sonication on disaggregating peptide clusters. The ultrasonication treatment proved to be an effective method to enhance the functionalities of grape seed protein hydrolysates. This study illustrates that ultrasound can customize the multifunctional efficacy of grape seed protein hydrolysates by altering their structural organization. The study establishes a mechanistic foundation for developing ultrasound methods to create value‐added, plant‐based protein components by correlating specific ultrasonic conditions with structural, functional, antioxidant, and digestibility outcomes.