Emerging Physical Field Technologies for Extracting Sustainable Plant Proteins: Mechanisms, Structural Modifications, Functional Changes, and Environmental Perspectives

The growing global demand for plant-based proteins was largely attributed to the need to mitigate the environmental burdens associated with animal agriculture. Conventional extraction techniques are often energy-intensive and environmentally detrimental, underscoring the necessity for more sustainable and energy-efficient alternatives. Emerging extraction technologies can improve protein yield and, under properly controlled processing conditions, better preserve structural and functional attributes. However, these effects are strongly parameter dependent, as excessive energy input, localized overheating, oxidative reactions, or pressure-induced aggregation may lead to structural deterioration and functionality loss. This review discussed the underlying protein extraction mechanisms, applications in plant protein extraction, and associated environmental and functional benefits of emerging physical field-assisted technologies, including ultrasound (US), pulsed electric fields (PEFs), microwave (MW), radiofrequency (RF), high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), and cold plasma (CP), in detail. In addition, the review evaluated the structure-function relationships of proteins treated with these techniques and highlighted their energy-efficient, low-carbon sustainability. Physical field-assisted technologies can provide higher energy efficiency, faster processing, and reduced solvent use than conventional methods, although these benefits remain condition-dependent. Through mechanisms such as acoustic cavitation and electroporation, they enhance protein release and enable controlled structural modification to tailor functionality for applications such as plant-based meat analogs. Their industrial deployment may be supported by digital twins and artificial intelligence as process-optimization tools, provided that advanced sensorization, validated multi-physics models, robust data governance, and techno-economic feasibility are achieved. Future work should emphasize multi-field coupling, real-time monitoring, lifecycle assessment, and scale-up validation for sustainable protein biorefineries.