Nutritional Quality, Fatty Acids, Amino Acids and Functional Characteristics of Bael (Aegle marmelos L.) Seed Protein Concentrate

GALLA NARSING RAO, KARAKALA BALASWAMY, PAMIDIGHANTAM PRABHAKARA RAO,
DUBASI GOVARDHANA RAO AND AKULA SATYANARAYANA*

Central Food Technological Research Institute (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research),
Resource Centre, Habshiguda, Hyderabad-500007, India

(Received: September 13, 2010; Accepted: June 23, 2011)

ABSTRACT

Studies were carried out on bael (Aegle marmelos L.) seed protein concentrate (BSPC) to evaluate the proximate, mineral and amino acid composition, nitrogen extractability and functional properties. The protein content was found to be 70.8 g/100 g BSPC. Calcium and phosphorus were observed in major quantities. The bael seed meal (BSM) lipid is found to be rich in unsaturated fatty acids (75%). Essential amino acids occurred in good quantities in BSPC. Nitrogen extractability of BSPC in water was found to be higher at
1 : 40 (w/v) ratio and an extraction time of 40 min. Minimum nitrogen extractability (14 g/100 g protein) and maximum extractability
(97 g/100 g protein) were observed at pH 4 and 12, respectively. In the presence of sodium chloride (0.1 and 0.5 M), the nitrogen extractability was found to be increased between pH 4 - 10. Protein precipitability was maximum (90 g/100 g protein) at pH 5.5.  SDS-PAGE of BSM and BSPC showed different polypeptides with molecular weights from 205 kDa to 12 kDa. The lower water holding capacity and higher oil holding capacity, foam capacity and foam stability were noted in BSPC. The sorption isotherm studies showed that the BSPC was non-hygroscopic in nature. 

Key words: bael seed, nutritional quality, fatty acid profile, functional characteristics, mineral content, amino acid composition, nitrogen extractability