Protein isolate from groundnut kernel.

ILSEEDS are some of the most concentrated
forms of food existing in
nature. Besides oil, they contain
fairly large quantities of protein. The oil
cake residues left after extraction of oil
have so far been used mainly as livestock
feed and as manure. Recent investigations
have shown that the oilseed meal, if properly
prepared and processed, can serve as a
valuable protein supplement to human diet
and that the proteins isolated from oilseed
meals are likely to find extensive use in
special food preparations suitable for feeding
infants and children.
Isolated vegetable proteins have certain
advantages over the parent raw materials
in that they are free from: (l ) insoluble and
indigestible carbohydrates which may swell
and interfere in the digestion and utilization
of protein particularly in children, (2) odoriferous
and bitter principles present in the
natural materials which may affect their
palatability, and (3) trypsin inhibitors, phytates,
etc., which may affect adversely their
nutritive value. Protein isolates are 2-4
times as concentrated as the protein source
and possess a bland taste. This facilitates
ready blending with other natural foodstuffs
for increasing their protein contents without
affecting their palatability.
This article describes the methods developed
at the Central Food Technological Research
Institute, Mysore, for processing groundnut
into protein isolate.