Deep eutectic solvent-assisted extraction enhances functionality of yellow split pea protein: A sustainable approach for food applications.

Authors

Ali Khanalipour, Mahnaz Tabibiazar, Maryam Hashemi, Parisa Ahmadi, Aziz Homayouni-Rad, Solmaz Tabibi Azar

Published in

International journal of biological macromolecules. Pages 153232. Jun 27, 2026. Epub Jun 27, 2026.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the extraction efficiency, physicochemical, and functional properties of yellow pea protein (YPP) using deep eutectic solvents (DESs), and to assess the effect of DESs on alcalase activity and the hydrolysis of YPP. Proteins extracted with DESs exhibited higher purity than those obtained by alkaline extraction (>93% vs. 70%). Among the DES systems, DES-2 (choline chloride: urea: water, molar ratio 1:2:1) showed the highest protein extraction efficiency (approximately 72 ± 2%) and enhanced relative Alcalase activity to approximately 116.9%. YPP was purified by dilution with acidified water (1:40 v/v), followed by centrifugation. DES-2-extracted YPP (DES-YPP-2) exhibited higher band intensity, particularly in the higher molecular weight regions, lower fluorescence intensity, and greater intensity of characteristic amide bands than alkaline-extracted YPP, as evidenced by SDS-PAGE, fluorescence spectroscopy, and FTIR analyses, respectively. DES-YPP-2 also showed a lower zeta potential (~ -0.2 mV), reduced particle size (824 ± 31 nm), and a higher contact angle (θ = 73°), indicating significant changes in the physicochemical properties of the DES-extracted protein. The increased solubility of DES-extracted protein (up to 15%) and the consequently greater stability of its emulsion and foam, when compared to alkaline-extracted YPP, confirmed the results of the structural and physicochemical analyses. These findings demonstrate that DES-2 has a strong ability to extract high-molecular-weight globulin proteins. Furthermore, this approach supports the valorization of yellow split pea, an underutilized agricultural by-product, into value-added protein ingredients.

PMID:
42364754
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 28 Jun 2026.

Read full publication at:
Please sign in to see all details.

Stats

1-terrible, 9-excellent. How would you rate this publication? Sign in in to submit your rating.

Post a comment

You need to be signed in to post comments. You can sign in here.

Comments

There are no comments yet.