Mr. Akhilesh Modi will present his APS as per the details:
Date: 25th September 2025
Time: 0930 – 1030 hrs.
Title: Smart Plant Protein Production via upcycling of side streams of the food industry and underutilized crops
Supervisors: Prof. Amit Arora and Prof. Sushil Dhital
RPC Members: Prof. Yogendra Shastri and Lavaraj Devkota
Abstract:
Oilseeds such as rapeseed, canola, and cottonseed are rich in protein. Yet, their application in human food is restricted by anti-nutritional factors (ANFs) and phenolic compounds that impair digestibility, solubility, and sensory quality. Conventional extraction methods, such as alkaline extraction with isoelectric precipitation, often co-extract phenolics and denature proteins, limiting food-grade applications.
In this study, I focused on the removal of phenolics from rapeseed, canola, and cottonseed meal, as well as the subsequent extraction of protein under mild conditions. The extracted proteins were subjected to detailed molecular and structural characterization using size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), SDS-PAGE, FTIR, circular dichroism, DSC, nano-DSC, and amino acid profiling. These analyses provide insights into protein purity, molecular weight distribution, secondary structure, and thermal stability. In parallel, I explored ultrasonication and pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments as emerging strategies for phenolic extraction from canola and cottonseed meals.
This work establishes a foundation for producing food-grade oilseed proteins and demonstrates the effectiveness of pre-treatment strategies in reducing phenolic interference. Future studies will extend this research by assessing functional properties such as solubility, emulsification, gelation, and foaming, enabling the translation of these proteins into applications like plant-based meat analogs.