ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Food Syst.
Sec. Crop Biology and Sustainability
Volume 9 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1591362
This article is part of the Research TopicCrop Production and Its Relationship with the Production of Vegetable Raw MaterialsView all articles
Effects of thermo-mechanical and chemical processes on the nutritional and functional quality of Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) flour
Provisionally accepted
- University of Cauca, Popayán, Colombia
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The objective of this study was to subject Sacha inchi (TA) kernels to mechanical (TST), thermo-mechanical (TCT), and chemical (TMH) processes with the aim of obtaining cakes with a high protein content. These were then compared with commercial brands (TP and HC). Proximate analysis, anti-radical capacity (determined using DPPH and ABTS assays), reducing capacity (evaluated using the FRAP assay), and antinutritional compounds (tannins, phytates, and saponins) were quantified. The TCT and TP treatments exhibited relatively low contents of tannins (3.78 ± 0.01 and 2.55 ± 0.02 mg/100 g sample), phytates (3.073 ± 0.004 and 3.214 ± 0.001 mg/100 g sample), and saponins (0.496 ± 0.005 and 0.437 ± 0.002 mg/100 g sample) in comparison to the treatments (TST and HC). Accordingly, TCT, TP, and TMH were selected for the determination of rheological properties and in vitro protein digestibility, as well as the evaluation of interfacial potential at varying pH (4, 5, 7, 9) and temperatures (25 °C, 40 °C, 55 °C). The thermo-mechanical and chemical treatments result in alterations to the configuration of the proteins, which are characterized by the formation of specific secondary structures, including β-sheets, random coils, α-helices, and β-turns. These structural changes impact the interfacial potential of the proteins, influencing the particle size and the zeta potential. The results indicated that the structural changes caused by the treatments could optimize the use of Sacha inchi protein cakes in the food industry, favoring their functionality and use in the development of new products.
Keywords: protein1, secondary structure2, antioxidants3, anti-nutrients4, rheology5
Received: 11 Mar 2025; Accepted: 05 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Narváez Cadena, Roa-Acosta and Bravo Gomez. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Ruby Aracely Narváez Cadena, University of Cauca, Popayán, Colombia
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