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. 2023 Jul:97:106449.
doi: 10.1016/j.ultsonch.2023.106449. Epub 2023 May 23.

High-intensity ultrasound-based process strategies for obtaining edible sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) flour with low-phenolic and high-protein content

Mariana Pacífico Dos Santos Friolli  1 , Eric Keven Silva  2 , Daniele Cristina da Silva Napoli  3 , Vítor Lacerda Sanches  4 , Maurício Ariel Rostagno  4 , Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco  3
Affiliations

High-intensity ultrasound-based process strategies for obtaining edible sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) flour with low-phenolic and high-protein content

Mariana Pacífico Dos Santos Friolli et al. Ultrason Sonochem. 2023 Jul.

Abstract

The sunflower Helianthus annuus L. represents the 4th largest oilseed cultivated area worldwide. Its balanced amino acid content and low content of antinutrient factors give sunflower protein a good nutritional value. However, it is underexploited as a supplement to human nutrition due to the high content of phenolic compounds that reduce the sensory quality of the product. Thus, this study aimed at obtaining a high protein and low phenolic compound sunflower flour for use in the food industry by designing separation processes with high intensity ultrasound technology. First, sunflower meal, a residue of cold-press oil extraction processing, was defatted using supercritical CO2 technology. Subsequently, sunflower meal was subjected to different conditions for ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds. The effects of solvent composition (water: ethanol) and pH (4 to 12) were investigated using different acoustic energies and continuous and pulsed process approaches. The employed process strategies reduced the oil content of sunflower meal by up to 90% and reduced 83% of the phenolic content. Furthermore, the protein content of sunflower flour was increased up to approximately 72% with respect to sunflower meal. The acoustic cavitation-based processes using the optimized solvent composition were efficient in breaking down the cellular structure of the plant matrix and facilitated the separation of proteins and phenolic compounds, while preserving the functional groups of the product. Therefore, a new ingredient with high protein content and potential application for human food was obtained from the residue of sunflower oil processing using green technologies.

Keywords: Acoustic cavitation; Chlorogenic acid; Green process; Plant protein; Sonoprocessing; Supercritical CO(2).

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco reports administrative support and equipment, drugs, or supplies were provided by Institute of Food Technology. Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco reports financial support was provided by State of Sao Paulo Research Foundation. Mariana Friolli reports financial support was provided by Coordination of Higher Education Personnel Improvement. Maria Teresa Bertoldo Pacheco reports a relationship with Institute of Food Technology that includes: employment. No has patent No pending to No. There are no additional relationships or activities to declare.

Figures

None
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Synthesis of the sunflower processing chain flow: A) Process flow diagram for conventional refined sunflower oil processing chain; B) Process flow diagram for emerging clean technologies based sunflower oil processing chain.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Phenolics and proteins extracted as a function of pH and solvent composition.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Influence of ultrasound nominal power on extraction kinetics and process temperature: A) Ultrasound power 200 W; B) Ultrasound power 300 W; C) Ultrasound power 400 W.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Extraction kinetics of total phenolic and protein as a function of ultrasound nominal power.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Amount of total phenolics extracted using pulsed and continuous ultrasound. Dotted line represents the total phenolics extracted in continuous mode.
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Influence of pulsed × continuous mode of ultrasound on extraction temperature: A) T1; B) T2; C) T3; D) T4; E) T5; F) Continuous process.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Lipid, protein, and phenolic content of sunflower samples.
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) of sunflower samples: Sunflower meal (SM); Defatted sunflower meal (DSM); Sunflower flour (SF) in different pH conditions.
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) of sunflower samples: A – Sunflower meal (SM); B – Defatted sunflower meal (DSM); C and C’ – Sunflower flour (SF).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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