Abstract:
The recent trend has been set toward the consumption of plant-based proteins. Coconut
poonac is a low-cost by-product of coconut oil extraction. Therefore, an effort is needed
to identify the potential applications of poonac as a source of plant protein. Religious
concerns, an increasing number of vegetarians in society, and environmental impacts
are the reasons for the further utilization of plant-based protein sources in many food
applications. This study evaluated the functional properties and physiochemical characteristics
of coconut poonac protein isolate (CPPI) and the results were compared with
soy protein isolate (SPI). Soybeans contained about 33.94% proteins whereas coconut
poonac contained 17.73% proteins. Protein content in CPPI and SPI were found to be
68.64% and 79.58%, respectively. The isoelectric point of CPPI and SPI was confirmed
by the observation of minimum solubility at pH 4. In comparison to SPI, CPPI exhibited
significantly higher water absorption capacity (4.09 g/g), oil absorption capacity (5.56
g/g), emulsifying activity (73.33%), emulsion stability (46.67%), and foaming capacity
(71.33%). SPI and CPPI both had 14% least gelation capacity. In-vitro digestion of SPI
was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than CPPI. Veggie meatballs were produced with
baby jackfruits and the incorporation of 0%, 2%, 4%, and 8% CPPI. Protein content
for meatballs containing 0%, 2%, 4%, and 8% CPPI was 1.33%, 2.72%, 4.15%, and
6.82%, respectively. All meatball groups exhibited pH values between 5.64-5.06 and
water activities between 0.61-0.81. According to the results, CPPI has good functional
properties which can be explored as a source of plant-based alternative protein for food
applications. Sensory evaluation revealed that meatballs with 4% CPPI were overall
acceptable. This confirms that CPPI has great potential in food applications, especially
in the development of meat alternatives.
