Effect of High-Pressure Homogenization on the Functional and Emulsifying Properties of Proteins Recovered from <i>Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa</i>
<i>Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa</i> is a microalga that stands out due to its high protein content. The objective of this work was to study the effect of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) on the recovery of proteins from <i>A. pyrenoidosa</i> and their application as function...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Applied Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/15/1/131 |
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| Summary: | <i>Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa</i> is a microalga that stands out due to its high protein content. The objective of this work was to study the effect of high-pressure homogenization (HPH) on the recovery of proteins from <i>A. pyrenoidosa</i> and their application as functional emulsifiers. Untreated and HPH-treated (400–800 bar, 1 and 4 passes) aqueous cellular suspensions were incubated at 40 °C for 6 h. The aqueous extracts were collected, the proteins were precipitated at pH 3, and the <i>Auxenochlorella pyrenoidosa</i> protein concentrates (APPC) were lyophilized. Increasing HPH pressure and number of passes (400–800 bar, 1 and 4 passes) improved protein recovery yield up to 57%. Higher HPH pressures also reduced <i>α</i>-helix and <i>β</i>-sheet structures, exposing the hydrophobic protein core. This protein modification led to APPCs with increased oil-holding capacity (2.83 g oil/g APPC). The surface tension of APPC solutions reached a minimum value of 28.6 mN/m at an APPC concentration of 2% <i>w</i>/<i>w</i>. The APPCs from untreated and HPH-treated biomass were used to stabilize nanoemulsions (2–6% sunflower oil), comparing one-step homogenization (high-speed homogenization) with the two-step homogenization method (combining high-speed and high-pressure homogenization). The two-step method led to significantly smaller oil droplets with narrow size distribution, leading to stable nanoemulsions with improved resistance to centrifugation and heating–cooling cycles. Due to APPC’s great emulsifying properties, <i>A. pyrenoidosa</i> proteins have a promising potential for various applications such as delivery systems stabilization. Additionally, the low energy requirements, continuous processing capability, and scalability of HPH make it a suitable process for industrial applications. |
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| ISSN: | 2076-3417 |