Elaboración de un aislado proteico a partir de la torta de soya residual obtenida en el proceso mecánico de extracción de aceite

Abstract

The consumption of plant-based protein has gained relevance in the food industry due to various factors, such as the growing global population, the environmental impact of livestock farming, and the demand for healthier foods. In Ecuador, where child malnutrition is a significant challenge, the development of a protein isolate from residual soybean cake represents a promising solution to improve the availability of high-quality, low-cost proteins. The methodology employed in this study included the mechanical extraction of soybean oil to obtain the residual cake, followed by a process of protein isolation and purification. Stages of milling and sieving of the soybean meal were performed, followed by the solubilization and precipitation of the protein under specific pH conditions. A two by two experimental design was implemented to optimize the pH conditions during protein solubilization (pH 8, 8.5, and 10) and precipitation (pH 4, 4.5, and 5), evaluating their impact on the yield and purity of the protein isolate. The results demonstrated that the oil extraction process is efficient in producing a protein-rich residual fraction. The obtained protein isolate exhibited a complete amino acid profile, with threonine, lysine, and isoleucine at 0.60, 0.61, and 0.61 grams of amino acids/100 grams of protein respectively as the predominant amino acids. These findings highlight the potential of soybean protein isolate as a nutritional supplement, underscoring the importance of processing conditions in the final product's quality.