Abstract:The effects of microwave on the processing characteristics and microstructures of wheat gluten proteins were investigated by comparison with water bath heating. Firstly，the optimal processing system was determined based on electromagnetic properties，which showed that a wheat gluten protein system with the mass concentration of 10 g/100 mL and pH6.0 could guarantee the microwave heating efficiency. Secondly，the study of functional properties showed that the water holding，oil holding，and emulsibility increased continuously with the increase in microwave power density. Meanwhile，the emulsion stability，foamability，and foam stability were significantly improved when the power density was lower than 4.4 W/g. The microstructure analysis revealed that with the increase in power density，the disulfide bond content decreased，and the free sulfhydryl group and fluorescence intensity showed a tendency of first increasing and then decreasing. Surface hydrophobicity analysis，combined with observed changes in secondary structure，elucidated that microwave treatment promoted the extension of protein molecular chains and induced controlled disruption of the microstructure.The structural modulation occurred through the cleavage of intramolecular covalent bonds （e.g.，disulfide bonds） and the disruption of non-covalent interactions，thereby affecting protein structural stability. In conclusion，microwave treatment could effectively regulate the functional properties of gluten proteins.