Exploring Camellia oleifera Abel seed cake as sustainable source of protein for food applications: A review

Abel Wend-Soo Zongo; Chengyu Jin; Ningxiang Yu; Hongcai Cheng; Mahmoud Youssef; Daniel Zogona; Xiaohua Nie; Yuanchao Lu; Qin Ye; Xianghe Meng

doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142595

Exploring Camellia oleifera Abel seed cake as sustainable source of protein for food applications: A review

Food Chem. 2024 Dec 24:470:142595. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142595. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China; Center for Research in Biological Sciences, Food and Nutrition, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, BP 7021 Ouagadougou 03, Burkina Faso.
² College of Food Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China.
³ College of Food Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China; Zhejiang WangLin Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., Quzhou 324100, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].
⁴ Zhejiang WangLin Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., Quzhou 324100, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ College of Food Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China; Food Science and Technology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Cairo 11651, Egypt.
⁶ Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁷ College of Biology and Environmental Engineering, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou 310015, China.
⁸ College of Food Science and Technology, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou 310014, Zhejiang, China. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39742593
DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2024.142595

Abstract

The demand for sustainable plant-based protein is rising due to concerns over the environmental impact of animal-based protein. One promising yet overlooked protein source is the seed cake generated from Camellia oleifera oil extraction (COSC), which contains 14-20 % crude protein. COSC protein (COSCP) exhibit excellent nutritional and functional properties making it a promising ingredient for innovative food products. However, its adoption remains limited. This review discusses COSCP extraction methods, functional properties, and food applications to promote its broader utilization. It also examined how oil extraction methods influence COSCP functional characteristics and explores modification techniques to enhance its functionality. COSCP has excellent functional properties, making it suitable for use as emulsifier, foaming, and gelling agents in food systems. However, cross-linking of COSCP with saponins and phenolics during seed processing compromise the protein yield, purity, and functionality and need to be addressed to fully unlock the potential of COSCP in food applications.

Keywords: Camellia oleifera cake; Food system; Functionality; Modification; Plant-based protein.

Publication types

Review