How the presence of residual lipids in a yellow mealworm protein concentrate affects its foaming properties?

Abstract

The use of whole and visible insects is poorly accepted in Western countries, and this remains a significant challenge for product development. However, using insect-based protein-rich ingredients, like protein concentrate, can improve levels of consumer approval. The residual lipid content in insect protein concentrates can influence their techno-functional properties. Our study therefore aimed to evaluate the impact of the residual lipid content on the protein structure and foaming properties of a mealworm protein concentrate. Our results showed that the protein content increased from 78.01 to 84.82 % after using chloroform-methanol for lipid removal. The particle size distribution shifted from a bimodal to a unimodal pattern, and the surface hydrophobicity decreased from 267.02 to 48.91 after completely removing lipids by chloroform-methanol, with no noticeable impact on the protein profile. The foaming capacity improved, resulting in the formation of a firm and fluffy foam with high stability over time. These results highlight the importance of controlling the residual lipid content in mealworm protein concentrates to enhance their techno-functional properties. The next steps will entail comprehensively characterizing the lipid profile and exploring the various mechanisms contributing to the techno-functional properties.