Concentrated Protein Gelation and Solvent Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for preparing concentrated protein products are complex, costly, and result in products with undesirable taste and flavor, limiting their use in industries due to the presence of native and aggregated protein forms and high lipid content.
Innovation Solution
A method involving gelation of protein suspensions at concentrations exceeding the critical gelation concentration, followed by solvent extraction to produce gel fractions with a three-dimensional protein net framework, which increases extraction efficiency and reduces lipid content, resulting in products with neutral organoleptic characteristics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional extraction methods are used to prepare concentrated protein products, then protein products can be obtained, but the production process becomes complex and expensive requiring multiple equipment items and thorough purification steps
Solution Approach 1:
The invention segments the protein extraction process into two distinct stages: (1) gelation of protein suspensions to form a three-dimensional network structure, and (2) solvent extraction of non-protein components. This segmentation allows each stage to be optimized independently, simplifying the overall process while maintaining high protein content in the final product.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention applies preliminary gelation action before extraction. By forming a gel network structure first, the protein molecules are arranged in a stable three-dimensional framework that facilitates subsequent solvent extraction of non-protein components. This preliminary structuring action improves extraction efficiency and reduces the need for multiple purification steps.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple extraction steps are performed to achieve high protein content, then purification improves, but the process time and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The gelation step performed as a preliminary action creates a structured protein network that enhances the efficiency of subsequent extraction. This pre-organization of protein molecules facilitates more effective removal of non-protein components in a single extraction step, reducing the time required for multiple sequential purification operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the physical state and structural parameters of the protein suspension by inducing gelation. This parameter change transforms the protein from a dispersed state to a structured gel network, which significantly improves extraction efficiency and reduces the number of processing steps needed to achieve high purification levels.
3Ease of manufacture
If native and aggregated protein forms are present in the product, then extraction is simplified, but the product develops undesirable taste and flavor
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the structural parameters of the protein by inducing gelation, which alters the molecular arrangement and interaction. This parameter change results in a gel network structure that, when extracted, produces protein products with neutral organoleptic characteristics, eliminating undesirable tastes and flavors while maintaining ease of manufacture.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention utilizes phase transition during gelation, where the protein suspension transforms from a liquid or dispersed state to a gel phase. This phase transition creates a stable three-dimensional network that facilitates complete extraction of non-protein components, resulting in a purified protein product with neutral sensory properties.
4Productivity
If high concentration of primary material is used to increase extraction efficiency, then yield improves, but the gelation concentration threshold must be exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The invention optimizes the concentration parameter of the primary material suspension to exceed the critical gelation concentration. By adjusting this parameter, the system achieves efficient gel network formation while maintaining high extraction efficiency. The gelation threshold acts as an optimization point rather than a limitation, enabling high productivity through controlled concentration levels.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This method simplifies and cost-reduces the production process, enhances extraction efficiency, and produces protein products with high protein content and neutral taste, suitable for various industrial applications, including food and pharmaceutical industries.
Implementation Method 1
gelation of protein suspensions at concentrations exceeding the critical gelation concentration, followed by solvent extraction to produce gel fractions with a three-dimensional protein net framework
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to concentrated protein products and methods for producing same from sources of plant origin intended for use in different sectors of the national economy, primarily the food sector (the meat, dairy, canned goods, baked goods, pasta, confectionary, and concentrated food industries), the pharmaceutical sector in the production of drugs, the compound feed sector in the production of feeds, the chemical sector and other industrial sectors. The technical result achieved through the use of the claimed invention is that of simplifying and reducing the cost of the manufacturing process for producing concentrated protein products, enhancing the efficiency of said process by increasing the degree and rate of extraction, and producing a final product that has neutral organoleptic characteristics, including the absence of particular flavour and aromatic characteristics such as, for example, a soy smell and taste (i.e. bitterness and a beany flavour). This technical result is achieved in that in the first stage of the method for producing concentrated protein products gels are produced, using gel formation methods, from aqueous suspensions of the original sources of raw material having a concentration that exceeds the critical concentration for gel formation, and in the second stage these gels are subjected to extraction using solvents that extract the sol fraction to produce a final target product in the form of a gel fraction having a three-dimensional cross-linked structure made up of protein molecules. The surface area of these gels can be increased by the addition of edible expanders, a sudden drop in pressure, or a cryotropic effect. The result of the proposed method is the production of protein products in the form of gel fractions having a three-dimensional cross-linked structure made up of protein molecules.