2016

Rommi, Katariina

New protein sources are needed to fulfil the growing global demand for food protein. The co-stream from cold pressing of rapeseed oil, press cake, is a rich source of protein with good nutritional value. Several technologies based on alkaline or saline extraction have been developed for enrichment of rapeseed protein, but high energy and water consumption due to dilute conditions and multiple processing steps limit their sustainability and profitability.In the present study, enzyme-aided methods were developed for extraction of protein and protein hydrolyzates from rapeseed coldpress cake. Carbohydrate-hydrolyzing enzymes facilitated protein extraction at reduced water content and without chemicals such as alkali or salt. Additionally, protein hydrolyzates exhibiting bioactive properties were extracted from dry-fractionated press cake by proteolytic enzyme treatment. Results of the study indicate that enzyme-aided fractionation methods are suitable for rapeseed protein production and may offer a techno-economically feasible alternative to current technologies such as alkaline or saline extraction.