A review of methods used for investigation of protein–phenolic compound interactions

Interactions between the different compounds present in foods are common and have influence on the nutritional and functional properties of food products. Among a wide range of these interactions, the formation of complexes between proteins and phenolic compounds seems to be the most important issue. Complexation of the phenolic compounds with proteins can be analysed considering several aspects. These complexes might strongly affect nutritional potential of polyphenols by masking their antioxidant capacity, and on the other hand might have influence on the structure of proteins which may cause their precipitation or decrease susceptibility to digestion. The complexity of protein–phenolic compound interactions is a challenge for food analysts and forced researchers to establish a wide range of analytical methods, allowing determination of complexes formation. The main aim of this review is to give researchers an overview of the currently used methods that can be applied to study the interactions between proteins and phenolic compounds.