Isolation and Characterization of Defatted Canola Meal Protein

Protein was extracted and isolated from canola oil processing waste. Canola is an increasingly important oilseed crop worldwide. More than 99% of protein was extracted from crude commercial hexane defatted canola meal when a 5% w/v suspension in 0.4% w/v NaOH was agitated for 60 min at room temperature in baffled flasks on an orbital shaker at 180−200 rpm. Protein recovery was 87.5% upon precipitation with acetic acid. The major proteins in canola seed were glutelins (91.8% soluble in 0.4% w/v NaOH) and globulins (50.9% soluble in 5% w/v NaCl) as measured by separate extractions. Canola proteins had poor solubility between pH 2 and 10 for all dispersion solutions. Solubility of protein isolates was 60% or less. Extraction and precipitation procedure did not produce lysinoalanine. Amino acid profile of isolates indicated high nutritional quality for use in products for 10−12-year-olds and adults.