Supramolecular restructuring of legume globulins into microgels and amyloid-like fibrils for enhanced functionality

Background Legume proteins play a key role in plant-based foods, yet their dominant storage protein fractions, 7S (vicilin/β-conglycinin-type) and 11S (legumin/glycinin-type) globulins, often show limited solubility, slow interfacial adsorption, and unfavorable aggregation, which restricts their application in emulsions, foams, and texture design. Recent “knowledge transfer” from whey-protein systems has motivated supramolecular restructuring of legume globulins into microgels and amyloid-like fibrils as functional building blocks. However, the field remains fragmented across legume protein sources, so a comprehensive overview is needed to consolidate how these supramolecular structures deliver improved interfacial and bulk functionality in food-related applications. Scope and approach This review analyzes (i) species-dependent structural features of 7S/11S globulins across major legumes, (ii) how these govern top-down and bottom-up routes to form microgels and fibrils, and (iii) structure–function relationships linking microgel/fibril attributes (e.g., size, surface chemistry, interfacial packing, network mechanics) to performance in food matrices. Key findings and conclusions Microgels and fibrils enable multi-functions by (a) forming viscoelastic interfacial layers for stabilizing Pickering emulsions, (b) acting as soft fillers/network formers to tune texture, gelation, and 3D-printability, and (c) introducing structural barriers that can modulate lipid digestion and bioactive release. Importantly, the microgel/fibril properties and resulting techno-functionality are highly dependent on protein source and 7S/11S composition, which govern denaturation pathways and intermolecular interactions during assembly. Overall, this review consolidates how 7S/11S globulins can be restructured into microgels and fibrils to guide high-performance plant-protein formulations, such as stable foams/emulsions, texture modifiers, delivery systems, 3D printing, and tissue culture scaffolds for cellular agriculture.