Effect of Thermal and Ultrasonic Pretreatments on Extraction Yield and Techno-Functional Properties of Protein Concentrate from Green Ora-Pro-Nobis (Pereskia aculeata Miller) Fruit

The growing global demand for sustainable and innovative plant-based protein sources underscores the need to explore underutilized botanical resources with high nutritional and functional potential. In this context, this research investigated the impact of thermal and ultrasonic pretreatment on protein extraction from the green fruit of Pereskia aculeata Miller, popularly known as ora-pro-nobis (OPN), and subsequently evaluated the techno-functional properties of the obtained from the green fruit of OPN (GF-OPN). The protein concentrate was extracted by isoelectric precipitation after thermal and ultrasonic pretreatments, followed by centrifugation and freeze-drying. The resulting GF-OPN protein concentrate demonstrated a notable protein content of 39.59 ± 1.31% and an extraction yield of 8.55 ± 1.93% (w/w). The electrophoretic profile of this material showed distinct bands ranging from 15 to 250 KDa. A 5% protein concentrate suspension exhibited pseudoplastic behavior and a gelation temperature of 83.3 ± 0.83% °C. The isoelectric point of the protein concentrate was around pH 2.3, and its emulsifying capacity at 2.5% was 100%. The obtained protein concentrate showed an excellent water absorption capacity of 529.13 ± 6.43%. The versatile properties of GF-OPN protein concentrate demonstrate its strong potential as a thickening, gelling, and emulsifying agent in diverse food applications, supporting the development of innovative plant-based products.