Valorisation of chickpea pod (husk) as a novel protein source: structural and functional properties

Date

2025-07-01

Author

Ateş, Elif Gökçen
Öztop, Halil Mecit
Ozmutlu Karslioglu, Ozlem

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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Chickpea pod (husk), an agricultural by-product with limited utilisation, was evaluated as a potential source of functional plant protein. It contains approximately 17% protein and has low oil content, yet remains underutilised in food applications despite its nutritional potential. In this study, protein was extracted from chickpea pods using a conventional alkaline method, with and without pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment at varying electric field intensities (1, 2, and 5 kV/cm). The effects of these treatments on protein yield, solubility, amino acid composition, and functional properties (water and oil holding capacities, foaming, and emulsification) were examined. Structural changes were also analysed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The conventional method yielded the highest total protein content, whereas PEF-5 kV/cm led to the highest solubility but reduced overall protein recovery, likely due to aggregation. PEF-2 kV/cm resulted in a more balanced functionality, enhancing both solubility and functional characteristics. Chickpea pod protein also contains both essential and non-essential amino acids, including high levels of asparagine, leucine, and valine, which contribute to solubility and interfacial functionality. FTIR analyses indicated significant changes in the secondary structure of proteins, with PEF-2 providing optimal alterations without the extensive denaturation observed in PEF-5. Practical Application This research suggests that proteins extracted from chickpea pod waste using pulsed electric field technology may be used as functional ingredients in food products, promoting sustainability and adding value to agricultural by-products.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/118544

Collections

Department of Food Engineering, Article